Ukraine is effectively defending itself against Russian aggression thanks to the will of its people and the heroism of its soldiers, but equally important in deterring the Kremlin are international sanctions that are undermining the economic potential of the aggressor country.
This was stated today in Kyiv during a press conference following the Coalition of the Willing summit by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
“This is a very important issue and a key argument in our ongoing discussions about sanctions and ways to counter Russian aggression. So, sanctions work. Without them, the situation would be incomparably worse… Ukraine is effectively defending itself, primarily thanks to the heroism of its soldiers and the entire Ukrainian people. But we also know that the assistance widely coming from our countries and the U.S., as well as the sanctions policy, has yielded results. They have made it impossible for Russia to win this war,” said Tusk.
He rejected the logic behind claims that Western sanctions against Russia have been ineffective and “achieved nothing.” In the Polish Prime Minister’s view, anyone making such claims, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is acting in favor of lifting the sanctions against Russia, which is precisely what the Kremlin is hoping for.
Tusk emphasized that sanction policy requires consistency, patience, and unity from all the countries that support Ukraine. At present, he noted, Europeans are discussing the possibility of strengthening sanctions with the American side.
“Sanctions have proven to be a key tool in limiting Russia’s capabilities. The situation there is more difficult than Putin and Kremlin propaganda portray. Strengthening the sanctions undoubtedly produces results… The willingness to intensify sanctions was a shared and unanimous position of all the member states of the Coalition of the Willing, the U.S., and all attendees. I haven’t seen such a clear-cut position on this matter in a long time. We know sanctions are costly for all of us, so these are not easy decisions. But the fact that we made such a decision today and announced it publicly means this is no joke. If Russia treats these proposals lightly, it will face a wave of new sanctions,” the Polish Prime Minister stressed.
As reported by Ukrinform, on May 10, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Poland, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, arrived in Kyiv.
Source: Tusk: international sanctions make Russian victory in Ukraine impossible
