EU faces ‘major challenges’ due to anti-Russia sanctions – Borrell

Europeans must be willing to pay the price for freedom, the bloc’s top diplomat insists

The EU will encounter “major challenges” due to the sanctions it imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said.

The issue was raised during Borrell’s interview with the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, with journalists pointing out that many people in their country are “skeptical” about the anti-Russia measures.

The diplomat responded that the sanctions are working, and that “Russia is in trouble.”

“These are restrictive measures. We’ve limited Russia's economic possibilities. As long as Russia’s economy is dependent on oil and gas, they’ll be needing our technologies,” he said.

However, Borrell acknowledged that “of course, we are facing major challenges in the short term” because of the sanctions, and “there is no denying that the price of gas is rising.”

According to the diplomat, Europeans “must be willing to pay the price for freedom, because the war in Ukraine isn’t only a war of the Ukrainians, but a war for our freedom.”