EU prepares more sanctions against Russia, Kremlin willing to attack

Sanctions will target, among other things, technology used by the Russian war machine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyeen said at a press conference.

Sanctions will particularly target components used in the production of drones, she said, citing Iran as Russia's main supplier.

The closure of the spaces the Kremlin uses to bypass sanctions will also be a priority, added Mrs. Von der Leyen, who was on her fourth visit to the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the war.

The precise measures in the next package of EU sanctions must be agreed on by the bloc's 27 member states a process that could last for weeks.

Senior EU officials met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a show of support for the country struggling to counter Kremlin forces and try to join the EU, as well as NATO.

The last such summit was held in Kiev in October 2021 before the start of the war. The very symbolic visit is also the first EU political mission of its kind in a country in war.

The summit came after a 60-year-old man was killed and six others were injured Friday when Russian missiles hit the centre of Toretsk in the eastern region of Donnetsk, the local prosecutor's office said in a Facebook statement.

Ukrainian authorities reported on Friday that at least six civilians were killed and 20 others were injured during the previous 24 hours.

Among the victims were two brothers, aged 49 and 42, killed when Russian bombings destroyed an apartment building in the northeast region of Kharkiwi, Ukraine's presidential office said. Their 70-year-old father was hospitalised with injuries.

Also, six people were injured and 18 residential buildings, two hospitals and a school were damaged in a Russian attack on the eastern town of Kramatorsk on Thursday, Governor Pavlo Krylenko said. Four people lost their lives when a Russian rocket hit an apartment building in that town Wednesday.

European officials were determined to continue Ukraine's military and economic support, but they did not provide any new details about Ukraine's path to EU membership.

President Zelensky said Ukraine's target “is to start negotiations this year”. But the process will likely last years and will require the adoption of broad reforms, including a crackdown on corruption, while the country receives billions of dollars in aid. Kiev officially submitted its application last June.

President Zelensky said progress has been made for Ukraine's further economic integration into the EU in several sectors, including agriculture, industry, energy and customs.

The Ukrainian government is keen to receive more Western military assistance, in addition to the tanks promised last week, as the warring parties are expected to launch new offensives once winter ends. Kiev has asked the West to provide long-range fighter planes and rockets. / AP/ VOA/