The European Union is “urgently” discussing new sanctions against Moscow, demanded in particular by France and Germany, after the discovery of a large number of civilian bodies in the kyiv region, the High Representative of EU Josep Borrell.
The EU “condemns in the strongest terms the reported atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in several occupied Ukrainian towns, which have now been liberated,” Borrell added in a statement.
A new set of sanctions is under discussion between the 27, but unanimity is necessary for the adoption of new measures.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Monday of individual sanctions and measures on “coal and oil”, but he did not mention gas purchases, a subject of division between Europeans.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also called for new sanctions on Sunday after the discovery of the bodies of civilians in Boutcha, near Kyiv, murders attributed to the Russian army which he described as “war crimes”.
A meeting of EU foreign ministers is scheduled for April 11 in Luxembourg and an extraordinary European summit devoted to the conflict in Ukraine, the economic situation and European defense is scheduled “at the end of April beginning of May”, indicated the services of Josep Borrell.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday called for the creation of an international commission of inquiry into “the genocide” he said was committed by the Russian army in Ukrainian towns, including Boutcha, where the bodies of 410 civilians were discovered. after the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
Moscow denies killing civilians and the Russian Defense Ministry says the images of corpses were “a new production of the kyiv regime for Western media”.