Ukraine crisis: Von der Leyen threatens Moscow with consequences

Created: 12/15/2021, 10:08 AM

The President of the European Commission: Ursula von der Leyen.

© Mindaugas Kulbis / AP / dpa

Russia is said to have gathered around 100,000 soldiers in areas not far from Ukraine.

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen calls on Moscow to de-escalate and threatens "unprecedented measures".

Strasbourg - In the event of further aggression by Russia against Ukraine, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened Moscow with "unprecedented measures".

The EU has already imposed a whole range of sanctions, which, if necessary, could be expanded further, said von der Leyen in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

"And of course we are ready to take further, unprecedented measures with serious consequences for Russia."

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The background to the threat are NATO findings that Russia has concentrated between 75,000 and 100,000 soldiers in areas not far from Ukraine.

The developments bring back memories of 2014. At that time, after the overthrow in Ukraine, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and started supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, which is still ongoing today.

Von der Leyen called on Moscow to de-escalate.

Further hostilities against Ukraine would mean "massive costs" to Russia.

The situation in the Russian-Ukrainian border area should also be a topic at the EU summit, which will bring together heads of state and government in Brussels on Thursday.

dpa