Denies Ready To Impose Sanctions On Russia, EU: Prepare To Act, Not Act Before It Is Needed

Joseph Borrell. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - The European Union has no plans to impose preventive sanctions against Russia, but is ready to act in the event of an attack in Ukraine, said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Borrell told the European Parliament on foreign affairs, citing TASS January 18, "There will be no preventive sanctions. We are discussing what to do if something happens, so that, if something happens, we don't lose two weeks of discussion between us, " he explained.

"Preparing to act does not mean acting before it is necessary," the EU's top diplomat stressed.

In his words, the European Union "encourages Ukraine to carry out reforms to the political system, to the judiciary, on many issues, to make the country "more resilient to external pressures."

"No, we told our friends in Ukraine, in the past and we will continue to tell them in the future, our support is not free. We support Ukraine to help them carry out reforms of the political, economic and institutional system that made Ukraine more resilient to foreign pressure," Borrell said, adding that implementing the reforms would make Ukraine "more democratic, more prosperous".