Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine may soon be designated “terrorists” by the European Union.
EU diplomats in Brussels who are crafting new sanctions against Moscow say that the decision to affix the terrorism label to the turmoil in Donetsk and Luhansk is under “serious consideration,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported Wednesday.
Designating the pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk as terrorists would make it easier for nations to ban visas and freeze assets in the region, RFE/RL reported.
If new sanctions designate pro-Russian separatists as terrorists, then it would be a reversal of what EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini said last week regarding the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
“We’ve always come to the conclusion that it is not up to us to make such definitions. What is our role, and what I’ve tried to explain before, is to try and support your efforts for reaching a solution to the conflict,” Ms. Mogherini told Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olexander Motsyk, at an event in Washington on Jan. 20, RFE/RL reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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