Anastasiades: EU needs to do more about third countries violating sanctions (Updated)

The European Union needs to do more about third countries violating sanctions on Russia, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday attending a European Council meeting in Brussels, and alluding to Turkey.

In a post on social media, he said: “Just finished a constructive discussion on Ukraine at #EUCO. I had the opportunity to refer again to the circumvention of sanctions by third countries.”

He added that in the latest sanctions package they included a new criterion for listings, which allows the EU to act against individuals and companies in countries such as Turkey that facilitate such sanctions’ circumvention.

“We must now take the next step and do more to fully address this issue,” he added.

“I also informed the counterparts about the leaders’ summit that we will host with the Egyptian President Al-Sisi on the side lines of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, on the implementation of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Initiative on Climate Change undertaken by Cyprus.”

The leaders decided on Friday that the EU would give Kyiv €1.5 billion a month in 2023 to help run Ukraine as it fights back Russia’s invading troops, the head of the bloc’s executive said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke after the 27 national EU leaders discussed supporting Ukraine during a second day of their summit in Brussels, the 240th day of Russia’s war on its neighbour.

She said that the EU has so far given Ukraine €19 billion this year but that the summit looked at 2023.

“It is very important for Ukraine to have a predictable and stable flow of income,” she said, adding that Kyiv estimated its monthly needs at €3-€4 billion “for the basics”.

Sporting a lapel pin in Ukraine’s yellow and blue, von der Leyen told a news conference the EU would finance €1.5 billion per month of that, with the rest expected to come from the United States and international institutions.

Commenting further about the results of the meeting, government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said that after a long and difficult all-night meeting on rising energy prices, EU leaders once again faced the circumstances and, despite individual national differences, highlighted the importance of European unity, agreeing to draw up a roadmap towards price reductions.

He added that EU Council members asked for member states’ energy ministers to initiate the process towards imposing a cap on the price of natural gas, which would result in lower prices, and a solidarity mechanism to impose caps on gas used for electricity purposes, expected to reduce the price.

“I would like to recall Cyprus’ position, as expressed by President Anastasiades, on the importance of achieving the greatest possible European solidarity as regards electricity and gas, including on the issues of common gas markets and gas storage, as well as the strengthening of energy interconnections as far as both electricity and gas are concerned,” he said.

On the new sanction criterion for the Ukraine war, he said that the President was satisfied by the decision.

Regarding the enlargement package of the European Commission, and Turkey’s accession course, he said: “The report notes both the ongoing democratic slide of the country and the widespread violations of Greek airspace by Turkish fighter jets in the Aegean, the threatening statements against the sovereignty of the Greek islands and Cyprus, the violation of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus, the further illegal actions in Varosha, and more.”