The new EU measures against Russia during the ceasefire

 

 AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10th September 2014, Nicosia

 

The deepening of the EU economic sanctions against Russia as agreed the day before yesterday at the Council of the EU will not help towards a political settlement in Ukraine, but will perhaps increase tensions. Russia is already considering the possibility of adopting retaliatory measures that will affect the economy in all countries, including Cyprus.

At the same time when a fragile truce at least has been agreed between the Ukrainian presidency and the separatists, EU measures are being prepared to add to the uncertainty. We would like to point out that the measures, which are due to be implemented in the coming days, coincide with the conclusion of the NATO Summit, where various leaders of governments did not hide their goal for an aggressive policy towards Russia. At the same Summit, the decision was taken to establish in reality NATO bases in the Baltic countries, something which will render as permanent the militarization of their region and threaten a more general conflict.

The Anastasiades government’s agreement with the additional EU sanctions against Russia refutes all that it had officially stated that it would not agree to any additional measures and sanctions which in every case adversely affect the Cyprus economy.

Furthermore, we recall that as far as the massacres in Gaza are concerned, neither the European Union nor NATO have imposed any sanctions on the State of Israel, thus demonstrating a clear policy of double standards. Neither did the government of the Republic of Cyprus show such zeal; at the time when it was evident, as illustrated by independent studies, that 80% of the victims were in fact Palestinian civilians. This is therefore not about a policy guided by principles, but instead a policy implemented to serve expansionist interests of the powerful of the earth and of the international monopolies. And unfortunately the government is identifying itself unilaterally with this strategy from which our people have nothing at all to benefit from, but instead will only count the costs.

We wish to stress that in Ukraine the reactionary and fascist forces play an increasingly important role in the political power of the country, whilst their opportunistic nationalist policy and the support of foreign powers, are leading the frenzy of anticommunism, persecuting the Communist Party of Ukraine. This is their democracy.