Ukraine Crisis Resolution in Europe's Hands .. Moscow Sets Its Sole Condition

The Russian permanent mission to the European Union has emphasized that reaching a settlement in Ukraine is impossible without the Union acknowledging the root causes of the conflict, holding Brussels responsible for igniting the crisis from the beginning.

The mission's statement stated that it is in the interest of the European Union to abandon the confrontational approach and recognize the current reality, emphasizing that "deliberately ignoring Brussels' role in sparking the crisis will not lead to any effective solution."

The statement added that the absence of this acknowledgment will keep the crisis open and hinder any real efforts to end it, stating: "Without it, a successful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine cannot be reached."

At the same time, EU member states agreed on the eighteenth package of sanctions against Moscow, described as one of the strictest punitive measures to date.

The EU Commissioner for Security and Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, announced that the new package represents a escalation in European pressure on Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin considered that the containment policy towards his country represents a long-term strategy in the West, but according to him, it is "failing," indicating that the sanctions have not only harmed Russia but have also dealt a blow to the global economy as a whole.

He affirmed that the West is trying to destroy the lives of millions around the world by using sanctions as a political pressure tool.

Several experts believe that Western sanctions inflict more damage on the economies that impose them than on Russia, pointing out that the latter still holds a strong position in energy markets and the global economy, giving it a wide margin for maneuver and counter-pressure.