The European Union and the United States held in Washington, the first US-EU high-level dialogue on Russia. The United States is represented by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, and the European Union is represented by Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the European External Action Service. The high-level meeting follows commitments made at the June 2021 US-EU summit, in which both sides agreed to coordinate US and European policy and activities related to Russia, and to coordinate strategic objectives and policies aimed at ending Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Under-Secretary-General Nuland and Deputy Secretary-General Mora welcomed the exceptional unity shown at the recent European Council, extraordinary meeting of NATO leaders and meeting of G7 leaders. They condemned the Kremlin’s provocative, irrational and barbaric war against Ukraine, which the Belarusian government has also enabled.
Russian military strikes on civilians are causing massive loss of life and injuries and must be stopped immediately. Nuland and Mora noted that the United States and the European Union will work to track war crimes reports and share information collected with allies, partners, international organizations and agencies, as appropriate, and use every tool available to hold criminals accountable.
Nuland and Mora welcomed the coordination between the United States and the European Union in implementing unprecedented sanctions and export control measures in response to the Russian aggression, and discussed continued close cooperation with the G7 to ensure strict implementation of these measures. They also discussed additional steps to further isolate Russia from the American and European economies and the international financial system in order to impose serious costs on Russia for its actions.
Both sides stressed the need to mobilize international support for the Ukrainian government and people and to hold the Russian government accountable. They welcomed the growing number of countries implementing sanctions and export controls since the Russian invasion, with countries implementing them for the first time and reiterating their commitment to further expand the alliance and strengthen the implementation of these measures. Nuland and Mora stressed that China supports the immediate end of hostilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors and the prevention of further growth risks. The delegates stressed that they would continue to urge China not to avoid or reduce sanctions against Russia and not to support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Under-Secretary-General Nuland and Deputy Secretary-General Mora Putin discussed US and EU efforts to increase humanitarian assistance for all those internally displaced or forced to flee as a result of the war. Nuand and Mora were briefed on American and EU initiatives to provide integrated political, financial, material and humanitarian assistance to the Government and people of Ukraine.
Each team acknowledged the need to work together to maintain a high level of attention and support for Moldova and to strengthen its resilience. They discussed their ongoing efforts to support democratic forces inside and outside Belarus for the protection and advancement of human rights, including freedom of expression and free and fair elections under international scrutiny.
They take stock of American and European efforts to counter the Kremlin’s propaganda and confusion and reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian power. Both sides stressed that the United States and the EU stand with Russian civil society, independent journalists and young people whose futures and voices are at stake in Russia and with those who have been forced to flee the country. Both sides recognized the continued US-EU cooperation towards long-term peace, resilience and stability in a wide area, including the South Caucasus.
Under-Secretary Nuland and Deputy Secretary-General Mora have decided to continue the meeting in this dialogue, with the next high-level meeting to be held at the end of 2022.
