MEP Baalen: more proof of Russia's presence in Donbas needed for further sanctions - Hoofdinhoud
Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands, faction leader of the Dutch People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Delegation Hans van Baalen says that Ukraine should provide more proof of Russia's presence in Donbas for the European Union to toughen sanctions against Russia.
"I'm against lifting sanctions. There is no reason for this. We have to prove, which is obvious, that Russians are obviously busy in the east of Ukraine, and as we have more evidence, I foresee further sanctions.
Maybe even Russia would not be able to join to the SWIFT international payment system anymore, which will really hurt Russia. Russia should leave Ukraine, including of course Crimea, and then we can talk," he told journalists in Brussels, according to UNIAN's own correspondent.
According to him, more proof of the presence of the Russian troops in Ukraine is needed to argue against Russian President Vladimir Putin's words that there are no Russian military in the east of Ukraine, these are "freedom fighters."
"Therefore, we have to establish that these are Russian troops or at least Russians from Russia. And the better we do this, the better the case is, and we'll have to say: 'You are breaking the Minsk 2 Agreement.' I think it is a bad agreement. But the more proof we have, the better our cases are, including further sanctions against Russia ," he said.