For EU, support for Ukraine remains main argument in passing sanctions - ambassador to U.S.

Each package of European Union sanctions against Russia shrinks the economy of European nations by tens of billions of euros, but despite this fact, the 27 member states always reach a joint decision to support Ukraine and hold the Russian Federation accountable.

That’s according to the EU Ambassador to the United States, Stavros Lambrinidis, who spoke at the Atlantic Council discussion panel on Monday, Ukrinform's own correspondent reports.

"The latest, the 10th package (of EU sanctions against Russia - ed.) that just took place of another EUR11 billion (worth of export bans - ed.) in addition to everything else is of critical importance, highlighting the unity the EU has to build," noted the diplomat.

He stated that it is not easy to pass as it requires more than a signature by a president, as, for example, is the case in the USA, but the agreement of the leaders of all 27 countries of the European Union. In addition, according to Lambrindis, there are also many other things in this puzzle, "although the most important one is the support to Ukraine and Ukrainians.

In this context, the ambassador explained that the EU still needs to respond to the global crisis caused by the Russian war, as well as to the challenges of food security, energy crisis, and impact of the war on the countries of Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

“It would have been impossible for America alone to have provided what Ukraine has needed up till now to be able to fight and push back; and it would have been impossible for Europe to have done that alone without the United States,” the ambassador said.

He added that other nations also contribute massively to the joint effort of supporting Ukraine.

Also, the envoy underlined the fact that for all EU nations, it is totally clear that an autocrat with nuclear weapons must not win. Otherwise, this would deliver a blow to the U.S. and European democracies for the decades to come.

The EU ambassador to the U.S. noted that the current situation in Europe is not about the war of the West against Russia. This is about the fight by the West, East, North, and East in support of Ukraine and the UN Charter.