EU agrees sanctions on Putin, Lavrov as Ukraine urges tougher action

EU ambassadors agree to freeze assets of Putin and Lavrov

“It’s a politically important signal,” said a senior EU diplomat, referring to the decision to target Russia’s leaders.

One EU official said that the latest round of sanctions would be followed by a third that may target “many more” Russian oligarchs.

“We are moving as quickly as we can,” the official said.

Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Europe to act more quickly and forcefully in imposing sanctions on Moscow, accusing western allies of politicking as Moscow’s forces advanced on Kyiv.

“You still can stop this aggression. You have to act swiftly,” he said, adding that banning Russians from entering the EU, cutting Moscow off from the SWIFT global interbank payments system and an oil embargo should all be on the table.

EU foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to thrash out details of the sanctions agreed in principle at the summit.

Those steps mean the bloc is joining the United States and others with measures such as curbing Russia’s access to key technologies and financing.