The European Union said Monday it is preparing to impose new sanctions against Russia after apparent war crimes in Bucha and other parts of Ukraine, Axios reports.
Images of bodies littering the streets of Bucha spread on social media over the weekend after Russian troops withdrew from areas around the capital of Kyiv.
EU Foreign Policy chief Joseph Borrell said the EU "condemns in the strongest possible terms" the "reported atrocities."
"Haunting images of large numbers of civilian deaths and casualties, as well as destruction of civilian infrastructures show the true face of the brutal war of aggression Russia is waging against Ukraine and its people," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attacks in Bucha war crimes. French President Emmanuel Macron made similar statements and called for additional sanctions.
What sanctions?
It’s unclear what sanctions Europe will impose.
A German government spokesman told CNBC that the measures would be decided “in the coming days.”
Germany’s defense minister urged the EU to consider banning the import of Russian gas.
“There has to be a response. Such crimes must not remain unanswered,” Christine Lambrecht said Sunday.
Some officials in Europe have been reluctant to ban Russian energy imports because some countries rely heavily on Russian supplies, which would cause steep price increases if cut off.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki blamed Germany for holding up the ban.
“It’s Germany that is the main roadblock on sanctions,” he said Monday.
US vows tighter sanctions:
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US and its allies are looking at new financial sanctions for Russia “every single day.”
“We’re tightening the existing sanctions. We’re adding new ones. We’re doing it in full coordination with Europeans and other partners around the world. And one of the results is that the Russian economy is reeling,” he told CNN.
“These sanctions are having a big bite now, they’re going to have a big bite going forward as long as this lasts, and we are every single day making sure that they’re not only tightened, but increased,” he added.
