BERLIN, October 20. /TASS/. The West will continue sanctions pressure on Russia because of its actions in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement to the Bundestag on Thursday.

"We do not leave the recent escalation on the part of Moscow unanswered. With another EU sanctions package, we have once again increased the pressure on the Russian government," he said. According to him, "this course will continue as long as Russia continues its military operation in Ukraine."

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation in Ukraine following a request for assistance from the leaders of the Donbass republics. After that, the US, the EU, the UK, as well as a number of other countries imposed sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities. In addition, Western countries began to supply arms and military equipment to Kiev worth billions of dollars at this stage.