The European Union condemns Russia's aggressive actions and threats against Ukraine and assures that any further military aggression will have huge consequences and costs for Moscow, Ukrinform reported.
The European Union said this in a statement on Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine and the illegal occupation of Crimea, released during a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday.
"The European Union condemns Russia's further aggressive actions and threats against Ukraine. Russia's unacceptable demands are accompanied by the heightened tone of statements by its politicians and top officials, as well as the build-up of troops and their movement near the border with Ukraine, on the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula and in the Black Sea region. We are also concerned about the large-scale deployment of Russian troops in Belarus, including near its border with Ukraine," the statement said.
The EU calls on Russia to de-escalate, comply with international law and engage constructively in dialogue through existing international mechanisms:
"Together with our transatlantic partners and associates, we have made clear that any further Russian military aggression against Ukraine would have enormous consequences and costs. This includes a wide range of sectoral, financial, and individual restrictive measures."
The statement points to full support for peace efforts in the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group, but regrets that "Russia is still trying to promote a distorted narrative, claiming that it is only a mediator in the conflict."
"As a member of the Normandy Four and a signatory to the Minsk agreements, Russia has clearly assumed responsibility for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. We call on Russia, as a party to the conflict, to participate constructively in the negotiations and fully implement the Minsk agreements," the statement stressed.
The EU also reaffirmed strong support for the basic principles on which European security is built, as enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris, in particular: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states; the inviolability of internationally recognized borders; the right of countries to decide their own foreign policy and choose their own security mechanisms; and refraining from the threat or use of force.
"These principles are not subject to negotiation, revision or reinterpretation. Their violation is the greatest obstacle to a common, indivisible security space in the OSCE area," the EU is convinced.
In addition, it notes "the importance of a renewed and meaningful dialogue in accordance with the key principles underpinning European security" and points out that the OSCE is the most appropriate and inclusive platform for this.
