The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas expressed her expectation that European foreign ministers will today approve the extension of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, as well as ease the measures imposed on Syria during the rule of former President Bashar Assad, quoted by BTA.
"I expect the extension of sanctions against Russia to be approved today," said Kallas before the start of the first meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council of the year in Brussels. "We need to discuss what additional pressure we can exert to end the war in Ukraine," she added.
Kalas announced that last night the foreign ministers had spoken with the leader of the opposition in Belarus, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. "We support the Belarusian people," Kallas stressed. According to her, today the ministers will discuss hybrid threats, including the events in the Baltic Sea and elsewhere in Europe.
She expressed her expectation that the EU Council would gradually ease sanctions against Syria and noted the readiness to restore the work of the EU delegation in Damascus.
In addition, Kallas stressed that the EU was ready to restore its presence at the "Rafah" border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
"We need to adapt our way of working to the new US administration," she said in response to a question, adding that each administration has a different style. "I expect very good cooperation," Kallas summed up.