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In a document seen by Bloomberg, the EU claims that the Kremlin’s measures, such as holding illegal elections and issuing passports to locals, “are aimed at the de facto integration of territories not controlled by the Ukrainian government in Russia” .
According to the document, the European External Action Service (EEAS) will prepare a report on this issue.
Russia has repeatedly denied plans to occupy the areas, saying it is compromised under the currently invalid 2015 regime. A peace deal under which these Ukrainian territories would retain a high degree of autonomy.
The war in the separatist regions broke out after Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. annexed Crimea. Although the main fighting between the Ukrainian army and the Kremlin-backed separatists ended a year later, the deadly clashes continue today, increasing the number of more than 13,000 deaths recorded so far.
Greater autonomy would potentially give a region known as Donbass a veto over national targets like NATO and EU membership.
Putin opposes Ukraine’s goals, but the vast majority of the 42 million people support them.
Tensions between former Soviet allies rose again last month when Russia deployed military equipment and more than 100,000 soldiers to the border area. Following calls from Western leaders to reduce the escalation, some troops withdrew. To show his support, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kiev last week.
The EU document lists opportunities for the bloc to help strengthen Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression, including:
– increased support for the fight against “hybrid threats, including cyber threats and disinformation”;
– support for Ukraine’s coronavirus vaccination program, “especially for vulnerable groups, in order to avoid further weakening of the country due to the prolonged health and socio-economic crisis”;
– strengthen energy security to reduce dependence on Russia;
– intensification of efforts to deny recognition of Russian passports issued to residents of Crimea and Donbass;
– the possibility of allowing Ukraine to participate in some EU security projects.
The EU has been criticized for failing to impose sanctions on Russia, as the United States has. Additional punishments would depend on “further deterioration of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” the document said.
Ukraine also sought support from Brussels to become a member of NATO.
According to a separate document seen by Bloomberg, ambassadors from the bloc’s Political and Security Committee discussed the document differently on Tuesday.
One group widely supported the timing and content of the opportunities. Another argued that the proposals did not put enough emphasis on reforms Ukraine must implement on its own, such as anti-corruption measures, and that member states should speak more before considering cooperation on the bloc’s security programs.
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