Poland’s MFA: Seventh package of sanctions must include complete ban on Russian gas imports

The EU should work together to approve the seventh package of sanctions, which must include, inter alia, a complete ban on Russian gas and petrochemicals imports.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Zbigniew Rau made a corresponding statement at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg in Warsaw on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, the adoption of the sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia last week is "an important step towards ensuring Europe's independence from Russian energy resources."

However, Rau called it an insufficient step and urged to immediately start working on the seventh package of sanctions.

Among other things, according to the minister, it must include "imposing a complete ban on Russian gas and petrochemicals imports and cutting off all Russian and Belarusian banks from SWIFT system."

Ukraine's place is in the European Union, Rau stressed.

"Therefore, we expect a positive recommendation from the European Commission to grant Ukraine candidate status. We hope that the European Council will make a positive decision in this regard at the next meeting," Rau said.

This does not change Warsaw's position on supporting European integration of the Western Balkans, he noted.

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