In the EU world, diplomacy tends to be tough in form or concept, rarely touching on the fundamentals.
Therefore, before Putin's march, it was only expected that the EU would probably sanction the Russian State Duma members, senior officials, wealthy businessmen, some companies and banks with less ties to EU countries.
However, after Russia's official military operation, the EU's actions have been surprising.
In addition to the near-immediate EU proposal for a detailed list of sanctions, including Putin himself, on the third day of Russia's foray into Ukraine (February 26), countries were able to make a collective decision to exclude some Russian banks from global interbank financial communications The International Settlement System (SWIFT) and sanctions against the Russian Central Bank, banning its transactions and freezing its assets, make it more difficult for Russia to use its nearly $630 billion foreign exchange reserve "munitions arsenal" to respond to Western sanctions.
In addition to the quick decision, its specific details can be rolled out in a few days, which is beyond people's expectations.
The European Parliament held a special session on Ukraine earlier.
The picture shows European Commission President von der Leyen arriving at the venue with a slogan in support of Ukraine on the seat next to him.
(Associated Press)
Since then, the EU has imposed sanctions one after another, and France and Germany have also taken high-profile actions against Russia.
Last Monday (February 28), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took advantage of the situation to formally request immediate EU accession. Subsequently, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution on March 1, calling on the EU to "work hard to award" Ukraine's candidacy. Ukrainian status, calls for the swift start of negotiations on Ukraine's membership, as well as tougher sanctions on Russia.
Parliament finally adopted a decision to welcome Ukraine as a candidate for the European Union.
The European Union, which has been criticized for the prevalence of bureaucracy in the past, even hinted that the post-Brexit Britain was too slow to respond, saying that the United Kingdom is "following our leadership"...
For details, please read the 307th issue of "Hong Kong 01" e-Weekly Newsletter (March 7, 2022) "
Putin's march into Ukraine ignites the EU's self-revolution
"
.
Click here
to try out the weekly e-newsletter for more in-depth reports.
Other exclusive selections from the
307th issue of "Hong Kong 01" e-weekly newsletter :
The epidemic has hit the elderly hard, and the reform of elderly care cannot be delayed any more
Han Zheng pays attention to the Hong Kong epidemic and must solve two problems
Development is the first priority Five key points of the government work report
In 2022, the main economic tone of the economy remains unchanged, seeking "stability" and more demand for "progress"
The edge of the nuclear disaster passed by, and the vicious circle of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is difficult to break
The real purpose and consequences of Western sanctions against Russia
Ukrainian and Russian Cryptocurrency War Humanitarian Rescue Coup or Sanctions Evasion Loophole?
