Europe maintains focus on Ukraine despite increasing number of conflicts in the world - Karins

RIGA - Europe maintains the focus on Ukraine despite an increasing number of conflicts in the world, Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) said on Monday. 

As LETA was told at the Foreign Ministry, at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, which took place in Luxembourg on Monday, Karins and his colleagues discussed the situation in Israel and the Middle East region, as well as support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. After the meeting, the Latvian minister stressed the EU foreign ministers' common position on the continuation of all necessary support to Ukraine.

Karins noted that Russia has not scaled down its brutality in the war against its democratic neighbor country. At the Foreign Affairs Council, the Latvian minister called for rapid progress on the EU's security and defense commitments, in particular under the European Peace Mechanism.

According to Karins, strengthening existing sanctions against Russia, moving towards new sanctions and the question of Russia's accountability are also important.

Regarding the escalation following Hamas militants' attack on Israel, the foreign minister underlined the need for the EU to play a more active role in efforts to settle the conflict.

"The EU must play an active role in order to prevent the conflict's escalation in the wider region and the deepening of the humanitarian crisis," said Karins.

According to the minister, ways must be found to restart the Middle East peace process with a view to ensuring a sustainable peace in the region through a two-state solution.