Portugal supports Brussels’ proposal to bar Russian fighters from EU

Minister of foreign affairs Paulo Rangel has said that Portugal supports the European Commission’s proposal to bar Russian fighters who have taken part in the war in Ukraine from entering the EU.

“We are in favour. Sanctions are always part of a package, so if everyone acted alone, it would take a certain form, but in this case, it poses no problem for us,” said Paulo Rangel in comments to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting of EU ministers of foreign affairs in Luxembourg.

The Portuguese foreign minister was responding to a question about whether he supports the European Commission’s proposal to prevent any Russian fighter who has taken part in the war in Ukraine from entering the EU – a measure included in the 21st package of sanctions against Russia presented by the European Commission last week, which still requires the unanimous approval of the 27 member states before it can be implemented.

Rangel noted that Portugal supports the 21st package of sanctions, as well as the opening of the first chapters of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

“We believe this is a very, very important step,” he said.

The minister considered that it is possibly due to the formal opening of accession negotiations and “Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU” that Russia launched an attack of “greater significance” on the country, including the historic Petchersk Cathedralin Kyiv.

“These are unacceptable attacks by the Russian Federation, particularly the fact that it struck the Petchersk Cathedral, an 11th-century religious building and, therefore, a cornerstone of Ukrainian identity. It holds this significance for identity and is a religious site which, obviously, has a status—in this case, even as part of humanity’s shared heritage—that should be safe from any attack,” he said.

The Cathedral includes the monastic complex of the Kyiv Caves Monastery, one of the most important spiritual centres of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

In his statements to journalists, Paulo Rangel was also asked who is blocking the imposition of sanctions against far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotric.

Without wishing to “make any revelations”, Paulo Rangel said it was “very important” for the EU to decide to impose sanctions on the ministers, in particular Ben-Gvir, but also to send “other signals” regarding the deterioration that continues to occur in the West Bank, with the settlements, where the situation of violence is escalating.

“It is important to send signals in this regard because such behaviour not only undermines the two-state solution but also risks disrupting the memorandum of understanding and peace in the Gulf,” he stressed, at a time when EU foreign ministers are debating whether to partially or totally restrict trade with Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Source: LUSA

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.