The European Union has warned it will “further raise the cost for Moscow” of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The get-tough message comes in the wake of what the EU has called a “grave incident” of 29 May in which a Russian drone carrying explosives, that was part of an overnight attack against Ukraine, crashed into a residential building in Galați, Romania.
The incident in Galați injured two people and swiftly prompted swift condemnation and the threat of repercussions,
The EU, in a statement, said it “strongly condemns” the incident even as Russian president Vladimir Putin attempted to suggest that the drone might have been a stray Ukrainian weapon.
The EU statement reads, “The European Union expresses its full solidarity with Romania and those affected by this incident.
“This reckless act is a direct result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia bears full responsibility for the consequences of its escalatory behaviour and its continued military actions, which threaten the security of EU citizens, regional stability and international peace.”
The European Union, it went on, “reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the security of Romania and all Member States.”
It says it “stands ready to accelerate efforts to strengthen protection against such threats” including through Eastern Flank Watch and other initiatives to consolidate European Defence Readiness.
The EU, it added, will continue to advance its initiatives aimed at strengthening defence of all EU land, air and maritime borders capabilities – including on the Eastern Flank, reinforcing “defence readiness and consolidating resilience.”
“We will continue to uphold that the EU is better equipped to act and deal in a coordinated way, with a 360 approach.
“Russia’s continuing serious violation of European airspace only reinforces our resolve to support Ukraine and its people in their defence against Russia’s war of aggression and their pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, in accordance with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations,” said the EU statement, issued on 30 May.
“In this regard, we will further raise the cost for Moscow and disrupt its war machine by ramping up sanctions. We will also work with our international partners to put pressure on Russia to end this war,” it concluded.
Meanwhile, the EU parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee will, on Wednesday, vote on reports assessing the latest developments related to the EU membership application process in Ukraine and Moldova.
The draft report on Ukraine commends the government’s extraordinary efforts to strengthen its democratic institutions during wartime and calls for improving the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
MEPs, said an EU parliament statement, have “hailed Moldova’s steadfast progress with EU related reforms while warning of continued malign Russian interference.”
