| Author (Corporate) | Council of the European Union |
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| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | 22.07.14 |
| Publication Date | 22/07/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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At the Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels on the 22 July 2014 EU Foreign Ministers adopted Conclusions on the situation in Ukraine, including the aftermath of the shooting down by missile of a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane on the 17 July 2014. Following the meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said that the EU would widen its sanctions against Russia to include more individuals and consider targeting the defence sector, financial services and 'dual-use goods in the field of energy'. The Committee of Permanent Representatives discussed and adopted new sanctions against Russia and rebels in Ukraine on the 24 July 2014. The Committee also had an exchange of views on the results of preparatory work presented by the European Commission and the European External Action Service on further targeted measures and proposals for taking action, including on access to capital markets, defence, dual use goods, and sensitive technologies, including in the energy sector. However, the BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt said it was still unclear if EU leaders were prepared to accept harm to their own economies in order to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for allegedly supplying pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine with anti-aircraft missile launchers. Reflecting the difficulties the UK and France exchanged critical comments of the policies of the other country in its relations with Russia. Russia’s envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said after the Foreign Affairs Council that sanctions were 'a road to nowhere' (see separate ESO record: Defying UK, France to proceed with warships sale to Russia). Deutsche Welle and other news sources reported on the 23 July 2014 comments from US intelligence officials a day earlier that they believed believe that pro-Russian rebels accidently shot down flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. They had no evidence that directly linked Russia to the tragedy. The 23 July 2014 was designated an official day of mourning to remember those who died on flight MH17, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on the 22 July 2014. The first unidentified victims of the crash were taken to The Netherlands on the 23 July 2014. [For the initial reaction following the tragedy on the 17 July 2014 see the related url hyperlink: 1) ESO: Background information: Statement on the crash of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 on Ukrainian territory and 2) ESO: Background information: Pressure on Moscow mounts after plane crash]. |
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| Source Link | http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/144090.pdf |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine |
