Contact with EU not officially severed: Russia FM
As the 27-nation European Union moves to impose further sanctions on Russia, Moscow says they have not completely severed bilateral ties.
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova gestures while speaking during briefing about foreign policy in Moscow, Russia (AP)
Officially, diplomatic contacts between Russia and the European Union have not been severed, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Saturday.
"[The ties] are not officially broken. We received a decision regarding the Council of Europe, but it is not a national entity - it is an organization," Zakharova told a popular Russian YouTube show.
The European Union has been adopting punitive measures against Russia en masse since the latest developments in the Ukrainian crisis took place, imposing unilateral sanctions on Russian figures, officials, and entities.
EU FMs to discuss Russia sanctions, Ukraine aid
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he had convened an extraordinary council of EU foreign ministers on Ukraine on Sunday.
"I am convening a virtual meeting of EU Foreign Ministers tomorrow at 18:00 [17:00 GMT] to adopt further measures in support of Ukraine, against aggression by Russia," he tweeted.
He also revealed that he would propose a package of emergency aid for Ukraine's army to provide Kiev with assistance against Russia.
I am convening a virtual meeting of EU Foreign Ministers tomorrow at 18.00 to adopt further measures in support of #Ukraine, against aggression by #Russia.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 26, 2022
I will propose a package of emergency assistance for the Ukrainian armed forces, to support them in their heroic fight.
The European Union had agreed Friday to freeze European assets linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Moscow's operation in Donbass.
The European decision was accompanied by a wave of sanctions from the US, Europe, and other Western allies.
The tsunami of sanctions that Russia is repeatedly telling the west has no effect come in light of leader Vladimir Putin authorizing a special military operation in Donbass over the constant Ukrainian shelling of Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, whose independence Moscow recognized a few days ahead of the operation.
