Blinken discussed tougher sanctions against Russia with von der Leyen

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed with the HEAD of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen further support for Ukraine and new restrictive measures against RUSSIA, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

In particular, Blinken and von der Leyen discussed "continuing coordination of efforts to hold Russia accountable for military actions in Ukraine", as well as energy security issues in Europe against the backdrop of the crisis.

Since the end of February, the US, the EU and their allies have imposed several packages of sanctions against Russia due to a special operation in Ukraine. The restrictive measures affected the Central Bank, gold and foreign exchange reserves, major banks, a wide range of imports and exports, the energy sector, Russian businessmen, politicians and public figures.

The Russian authorities consider Western sanctions illegitimate. President Vladimir Putin called them “crazy and thoughtless” and also said that only the direct losses of the European Union “from the sanctions fever” for the coming year could exceed $400 billion. “This is the price of decisions divorced from reality and taken contrary to common sense,” the president said .

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, urged Europe to show strategic patience in connection with the consequences of sanctions against Russia. He stressed that some of the consequences of the sanctions are already visible, but they will be fully visible in the long term.