EU to target Israel, Russia with new sanctions over Gaza and Ukraine crises
Ursula von der Leyen described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as catastrophic and outlined a package of measures that would target extremist Israeli ministers and settlers, suspend bilateral aid and freeze Israel's trade agreement with the regional bloc.
The European Union (EU) will introduce new sanctions on Israel and step up support for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday.
The EU Commission head described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as catastrophic and outlined a package of measures that would target extremist Israeli ministers and settlers, suspend bilateral aid and freeze Israel's trade agreement with the regional bloc.
"Europe needs to do more. Europe's goal has always been the same. Real security for Israel and a safe, present future for all Palestinians," she said.
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Approval of the sanctions remains uncertain since all 27 EU states must agree. While Spain and Ireland back tougher action on Israel, countries like Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic are expected to resist.
Von der Leyen's remarks drew sharp criticism from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who accused the EU of aligning itself with extremist groups, including Hamas.
"The remarks made this morning by the President of the European Commission are regrettable. Some of them also echo the false propaganda of Hamas and its partners," Sa'ar said on X. "Once again, Europe is sending the wrong message, which strengthens Hamas and the radical axis in the Middle East."
In matters concerning Ukraine, the EU President announced that the bloc would intensify efforts to counter Russia, including convening an international summit to coordinate the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Moscow.
She also suggested using frozen Russian assets to fund a loan for Ukraine, but ruled out outright seizing them.
Her speech came just hours after NATO forces in Poland intercepted Russian drones that violated Warsaw's airspace. Von der Leyen condemned the incident as reckless, highlighting the EU's record of imposing 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia since its 2022 invasion, alongside €140 billion (Sh21.4 trillion) in financial, humanitarian, and military aid to Kyiv.
The bloc is now preparing a 19th round of sanctions that would speed up the move away from Russian fossil fuels, restrict Moscow's use of a shadow oil fleet and penalise third countries helping it evade restrictions.
Any sanctions would still require approval from all EU member states, and divisions remain, particularly among countries like Hungary and Slovakia that rely heavily on Russian energy.
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