In cooperation with the United States, the European Union is preparing an “arsenal of sanctions” against Russia if it invades Ukraine

On Wednesday, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell indicated that the EU, in coordination with the United States, was preparing an “arsenal of sanctions” against Russia to respond to a possible military aggression against Ukraine, despite his ruling to come up with “preventive” measures against Moscow. .

“If what we are trying to avoid is going to happen, a classic military attack, then naturally Russia will face a very harsh sanctions regime,” the head of European diplomacy said at a meeting with Spanish media in Brussels.

The High Commissioner affirmed joint efforts with Washington to coordinate an “arsenal of economic sanctions” aimed at “shortening” the Russian economy from the rest of the world.

However, Borrell insisted that there would be no “preventive sanctions” by the EU, categorically ruling out that new measures against Moscow will come out of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting next Monday. He stressed that “the matter now is about not escalating the situation or giving reasons or arguments to provoke what we want to avoid,” and stressed that there was still “something concrete” on the table.

In this way, he insisted on the warning message to Moscow, in line with NATO or the United States, which warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the “exorbitant cost” of military action against Ukraine. The message is not expected. The answer must be ready but avoid any escalation,” Borrell stressed.

For the former Spanish minister, it is the red line that would make the European bloc work if Russia carried out a “classic” military intervention against Ukraine rather than through the “green men”, referring to the unidentified Russian forces that took part in the conflict. From eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Russia maintains an unusual military focus on the border with Ukraine, where it has deployed heavy equipment, armed vehicles, tanks, drones and electronic systems with combat forces, which has sounded alarms in Kiev and in NATO about possible aggression, already after Russia. It invaded its neighbor in 2014 and annexed Crimea.