The European Council addressed Russia’s escalating war of aggression against Ukraine at its meeting in Brussels last week but fell short of imposing more sanctions against Russia and those countries that are supporting it militarily.
In its conclusions, the Council condemned “in the strongest possible terms the recent indiscriminate Russian missile and drone attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine” and reaffirmed “its full support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
As regards sanctions, it stated that the EU has further reinforced its restrictive measures against Russia and stands ready to continue to do so. “The European Council stresses the importance of ensuring effective implementation, preventing circumvention and its facilitation, and calls on all countries to align with EU sanctions. Efforts in this regard should be stepped up.”
In the context of sanctions against Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU adopted last Thursday restricted measures against Iran for supporting Russia militarily by the supply of drones. The decision which was announced by the Czech EU Presidency came only three days after the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday was of the opinion that more evidence was needed.
“It’s an on-going process,” explained EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after the meeting, without giving any details. “Sanctions must be based on evidence.” He had talked to the Iranian foreign minister who had denied categorically that Iran has provided Russia with drones.
The Foreign Affairs Council did decide to impose travel restrictions and asset freezes against 11 Iranian individuals and 4 entities because of their role in human rights violations and the violent repression of demonstrations in Iran.
However, in a new decision on Thursday, taken by unanimity by all 27 EU member states, EU decided to adopt similar restrictions against three Iranian individuals and one entity for drone deliveries to Russia.
It is possible that the decision was taken in “record time”, as the Czech EU Presidency claims, following three days of diplomatic talks. In fact, media and some countries, including Ukraine, have been alerting the EU for some time about the Iranian deliveries of drones. Russia had already used them in the war when the Foreign Affairs Council meeting took place.
The cooperation between Russia and Iran was described as a “partnership between two embattled dictatorships” by Karim Sadjadpour, an expert at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in the New York Times.
What new evidence did the EU receive by Thursday that was not available at the Foreign Affairs Council?
“The EU has been very clear in its contacts with Iran that it’s unacceptable to provide military equipment to Russia,” Peter Stano, EU’s lead spokesperson on foreign affairs, told The Brussel Times at the Commission’s press conference in Brussels on Monday. “These deliveries allow Russia to continue its murderous campaign against civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine.”
High Representative Borrell himself delivered EU’s strong position to Iran’s foreign minister twice by phone last week.
The decision was taken on the basis of new convincing evidence, the spokesperson explained. This was enough for the member states to agree on the adoption of the sanctions. The EU continues to monitor the situation, both in its relations with Ukraine and with Iran. If there is more proof of such activities, and the delivery of drones will continue, the EU will act and take further steps against Iran.
“The use of especially drones, but also missiles, against civilian targets is against international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes,” the spokesperson said.
“Drones can be used by Russia to target electricity, fuel, etc, and to attempt to economically exhaust Ukraine over time,” said Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at C.N.A, a defense research institute in Arlington, in an interview in The New York Times.
Are the sanctions effective? Will they deter Iran from delivering more drones to Russia?
“The sanctions aren’t symbolic,” Peter Stano assured. “They are very practical as they prevent people from travelling to the EU and having access to their assets. Furthermore, other countries are also aligning to EU’s sanctions regime.”
The sanctions have also a negative reputational impact on Iran, he added. “I don’t think that anyone wants to be seen as associated with Russia in its brutal, illegal war against Ukrainian civilians.”
Asked the same question about the new EU sanctions against Iran, Professor Efraim Inbar, President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, dismissed them as mainly symbolic. “EU wants to do business in Iran and its oil.”
Air defense systems to Ukraine
Ukraine has asked not only for more sanctions against Russia and those countries that support it but also for more military aid to defend itself. Some EU member states have been reluctant to supply all the military aid that Ukraine has asked for. Other countries have delivered very little because they do not have enough stock of military equipment and a few countries have not delivered anything at all.
Until now Israel has also rejected Ukraine’s requests for military materiel, especially air defense systems. At a meeting on Wednesday last week with the EU member states’ ambassadors in Israel, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel supports and stands with Ukraine, NATO and the West.
“Israel has a policy of supporting Ukraine via humanitarian aid, and the delivery of life-saving defensive equipment. I plan to review and approve an additional package, as we have delivered in the past.” He added that Israel has sent a request to Ukraine to share information about it needs for air defense alerts.
But he was clear that Israel will not deliver weapon systems to Ukraine due to a “variety of operational considerations. We will continue to support Ukraine within our limitations, as we have done in the past.”
Russia has reportedly been reducing its military presence in Syria and moved soldiers and equipment to the war in Ukraine. Does this not also change the picture for Israel?
“Israel should not sell air defense systems to Ukraine now,” Professor Inbar replied. “We cannot sell weapons from our storage because we are at war and actually need more than what we have”, referring to Israel’s actions against Iran in Syria and the deliveries of weapons through Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
He added that Israel, contrary to common perception, is less concerned about the Jews in Russia which might be affected by the Russian authorities if Israel would deliver weapons to Ukraine. “We are concerned about Russia that is our neighbor in the north and can make problems to our freedom of action against Iran in Syria.”
Under the radar, according to media reports, Israel is providing Ukraine with basic intelligence about Iranian drones. A private Israeli firm is providing Ukraine with satellite imagery of Russian troop positions.
M. Apelblat
The Brussels Times
