‘Russia pays’: West to warn Putin in trio of summits

A Belgian delegation welcomes U.S. President Joe Biden, who arrives to attend a rare NATO summit to debate ongoing deterrence and protection efforts in response to Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium, March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) – Western nations will warn Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that his nation pays “ruinous” prices for invading Ukraine throughout an unprecedented one-day trio of NATO, G7 and EU summits that will probably be attended by U.S. President Joe Biden.

The hectic day of summitry to keep up Western unity will kick off on the transatlantic defence alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, the place leaders will conform to ramp up army forces on Europe’s jap flank.

Alarmed by the prospect that Russia would possibly escalate the warfare with its neighbour after a grinding month-long battle, the 30 nations of NATO may also conform to ship Kyiv gear to defend in opposition to organic, chemical and nuclear assaults. learn extra

The resolve to punish Moscow with large sanctions will probably be underlined by an emergency assembly of the G7 superior economies, together with Japan. Then, with a summit of the 27-nation European Union, international locations representing greater than half of the world’s gross home product could have met in in the future.

“We should make sure that the choice to invade a sovereign impartial nation is known to be a strategic failure that carries with it ruinous prices for Putin and Russia,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed the EU parliament on Wednesday.

Russia’s assault on Ukraine has killed hundreds and pushed nearly 1 / 4 of Ukraine’s 44 million folks from their houses, in line with United Nations knowledge, together with greater than 3.5 million who’ve fled the nation.

Putin says his forces are engaged in a “particular army operation” to demilitarise and “denazify” Ukraine. Ukraine and the West say Putin launched an unprovoked warfare of aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will handle each the NATO and EU summits by video-conference.

He has pleaded, with out success, for NATO to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine, however Western allies have imposed sweeping sanctions in opposition to Russia and offered weapons and help value billions of {dollars} for Ukraine’s defence.

EASTERN FLANK

NATO has sharply elevated its presence on the jap borders of the alliance, with some 40,000 troops unfold from the Baltic to the Black Sea. NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg mentioned the leaders would focus on deploying 4 new fight models in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

“I anticipate leaders will conform to strengthen NATO’s posture in all domains, with main will increase within the jap a part of the alliance. On land, within the air and at sea,” he instructed a information convention on Wednesday forward of the summit.

Washington mentioned Biden and his European counterparts would announce new sanctions in opposition to Russia and measures to tighten current sanctions. Nevertheless, EU diplomats performed down expectations of main new sanctions.

EU measures taken thus far embody freezing Russian central financial institution belongings, however some member states are resisting calls to focus on Russian vitality exports as they’re closely reliant on them.

“I do not anticipate any large bulletins or choices,” one EU diplomat mentioned. “Its extra about taking inventory and looking out in the direction of the longer term to see the place additional strains of motion would lie.”

EU leaders are anticipated to agree at their two-day summit to collectively purchase fuel, as they search to chop reliance on Russian fuels and construct a buffer in opposition to provide shocks. L3N2VQ3IG

Brussels can be aiming to strike a cope with Biden to safe further U.S. liquefied pure fuel provides for the subsequent two winters.

“The results of this warfare on Europe´s safety structure will probably be far-reaching,” the president of the EU’s government, Ursula von der Leyen, help on Wednesday. “And I’m not simply speaking about safety in army phrases. But in addition vitality safety, and even meals safety are at stake.”

Extra reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Kate Abnett, Sabine Siebold and Jan Strupczewski
Modifying by Gareth Jones

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.