Extraordinary Council of EU Foreign Ministers meeting on 27 February: conclusions

Today, Sunday 27 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès participated by videoconference with her European counterparts in an Extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting to monitor the situation in Ukraine and take a series of additional decisions.  

During the meeting, EU ministers validated the political agreement on a set of new sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The agreement includes the withdrawal of Russia's major banks from the SWIFT interbank system; a ban on transactions with the Russian Central Bank; a further expansion of the list of individuals subject to European sanctions, including prominent figures in Russia and Belarus; and a ban on media outlets with ties to the Russian government from broadcasting in the European Union. In addition, several European countries, such as Belgium, have decided to close their airspace to flights by Russian airlines.

Sophie Wilmès: "Belgium fully supports these tightened sanctions against the regime in Moscow, as well as its allies in Belarus – which was a focus for us. This shows that we are and will remain particularly determined not to let Moscow escape the severe consequences of the tragedy in Ukraine. During the meeting, I also pointed out the need for a counter-offensive against disinformation, which exists among us, but especially among the Russian population. We need a solid strategy for ensuring that the current situation in Ukraine is fairly reflected in Russia."

Under the European Peace Facility, it was also decided to provide support for the supply of military equipment to the Ukrainians. Belgium has come out in favour of this proposal and has already made such commitments this weekend. Sophie Wilmès: "A taboo has been broken and this is a good thing. Our support for the Ukrainian people must go beyond declarations and economic sanctions. I am satisfied with the decisions taken in Belgium and at an EU level. I am convinced that an extra effort should also be made from a humanitarian point of view. Finally, solidarity must be organised with European Member States to deal with the influx of refugees resulting from the conflict."