DISINFO: European reluctance to lift sanctions means that they do not want peace
SUMMARY
The unwillingness of European countries to lift sanctions against Moscow means that they do not want peace.
An integral part of the Black Sea initiative is the lifting of sanctions against [Russian] banking institution, which deals with settlements related to agricultural products.
And if European countries do not want to go down this path, this means that they do not want to go down the path of peace, do not want to contribute and act in unison with the efforts that Moscow and Washington are making to get to a peaceful channel. Russia's conditions are well known to everyone.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the European Union of warmongering and claiming that it is not interested in peace.
The claim was made in the context of Russian-American negotiation on ceasefire. The US and Russia agreed "to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea." But Moscow was quick to spell out its list of demands. The Kremlin added five paragraphs of conditions to be met before the so-called "Black Sea Initiative" is restored. The conditions call for lifting "sanctions" and "restrictions." The most notable demand is for the Rosselkhozbank, and "other financial organisations" involved in the agricultural trade, to be reconnected to SWIFT, a high-security system for rapid money transfers.
It's important to point out that the EU never sanctioned Russia's agricultural exports.
The EU has rebuffed the Kremlin's demand, arguing the continued invasion of Ukraine makes it impossible to grant sanctions relief, be it broad or targeted. "The end of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and the unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine will be one of the main pre-conditions to amend or lift sanctions," European Commission stated.
From the onset of the war, the European Union and its Member States have, with their partners and allies, underlined the need to put an end to it through a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law. The latest European Council conclusions restate the principles the EU supports in the pursuit of a just and long-lasting peace.
The European Union is committed to achieving a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine, ensuring that Kyiv’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.
It was Russia that launched its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine in 2022. Prior to that, in 2014, Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and instigated a separatist proxy war in the country’s east.
This message is part of a wider disinformation campaign framing possible US-Russia negotiations as the only acceptable ‘peace initiative’ regardless of the of Russia’s ultimatums, while denying any agency to Ukraine or its other allies. Pro-Kremlin disinformation has long tried to misrepresent the EU as the main obstacle for ‘peace’ in Ukraine.
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