European Leaders Vow to Escalate Sanctions Against Russia

Leaders from multiple European countries and NATO heads held a "Voluntary Coalition" meeting in London, the capital of the UK, on the 24th, announcing they would further increase sanctions against Russia and expedite the delivery of long-range strike and air defense equipment to Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Starmer, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Dutch Prime Minister Schoof, Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen, and NATO Secretary-General Rutte jointly held a press conference the same day, stating they would gradually phase out Russian oil and gas from the global market and push for the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction.

Starmer stated that the UK has taken the lead in imposing comprehensive sanctions on Russian oil and gas, with the US and EU following suit, forming a "coordinated and comprehensive strike." He also announced that the UK plans to provide Ukraine with over 5,000 lightweight multi-purpose missiles, 140 of which will be delivered ahead of schedule.

European Commission President von der Leyen said on the 23rd that EU member states have approved the 19th round of sanctions against Russia. This round marks the EU's first move against one of Russia's economic pillars—the natural gas industry. According to a bulletin released by the European Council, the EU's 19th round of sanctions against Russia includes 69 new individual sanctions and multiple economic restrictive measures, primarily targeting Russia's energy, financial, and military-industrial sectors.