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EU plans to agree on new sanctions package against Russia on Tuesday — Borrell

Josep Borrell ruled out a decision to ban gas imports from Russia at the European level

MADRID, April 5. /TASS/. The European Union is going to agree on a new package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday over the situation around Ukraine, EU diplomacy head Josep Borrell said in an interview with the Cope radio station.

"Today, we are going to approve a new package of sanctions, but we are still discussing what to do with energy," Borrell added.

He ruled out a decision to ban gas imports from Russia at the European level. "We cannot make a unanimous decision because there is already a country, Hungary, which has said it will veto it," Borrell said.

He also noted that the Russian ruble has put up some powerful resistance to Western sanctions against Russia, imposed due to the situation over Ukraine, EU diplomacy head Josep Borrell said in an interview with the Cope radio station.

"The ruble has demonstrated strong resistance," he said. Borrell recalled that "Putin is now insisting that he be paid for gas in rubles to support the currency." "We'll see what happens," he said.

"We want to help Ukraine, but we don't want to get involved in the war," Borrell said and added, "The EU is not a military alliance, but I think we should help them." "We are doing everything we can, but without crossing red lines so that the conflict does not escalate," he concluded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.