EU’s next sanctions on Russia should be ‘as tough as possible’, Denmark says

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, left, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, right, walk in center of Kyiv, Ukraine. (AP)

The European Union’s next package of sanctions against Russia must be “as tough as possible”, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday.

Denmark, which holds the EU’s rotating six-month presidency will push for the adoption of a 19th round of sanctions during its term which ends in December, Lokke said. “It must be a full-fledged sanctions package, addressing circumvention, the shadow fleet, the financial sector… we also need stronger transatlantic cooperation,” he told a joint press conference with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv.

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Rasmussen said that Denmark would also welcome any initiative from the United States on sanctions. He added that the Nordic country would encourage more Ukrainian defence companies to establish themselves in Denmark in order to start production there. “We are actually in dialogue with quite a few Ukrainian companies,” he said.

The Danish government earlier this month said that Ukrainian Fire Point, maker of Flamingo missiles, will start producing fuel for long-range missiles in Denmark, marking the first expansion abroad by a Ukrainian defence company.