European Union rules out asylum for Russians; support for Ukraine will continue as long as necessary

Brussels, Belgium. Eight months have passed since Vladimir Putin began the military intervention in Ukraine and despite the sanctions implemented by several countries to lock Putin up, the war is still active.

The European Union has given asylum to some 6 million Ukrainians through temporary protection programs and other systems, but rules out – at least for now – that these shelters could also benefit Russian citizens seeking to flee the conflict, Peter Stano said. , spokesman for the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell.

Despite different positions among the member states, the common position of the EU is that there are no mechanisms or methods to verify that the Russian population that could request asylum is really against the regime.

The official mentioned that around half a million Russians have fled their country, mostly young people, and although the European Union is an open space for victims of war conflicts, the case of the Russian population is misleading.

“It was a difficult discussion because some of the member states said that issuing them visas gave them the opportunity to come and learn and hear different information and take it home, but other member states said that for many years the EU had been able to issue visas for the Russians and even so they were manipulated and indoctrinated by the (Putin) regime, it is not possible to change their minds in three weeks or three months,” the spokesman said in an interview with the Mexican press.

In the end, the common decision was to continue with the suspension of travel visas for the Russian population.

The war won’t be over until Putin stops

The official stressed that the only way for the war to end is for Putin to withdraw from the territory, until his resources run out and until the Russian population wakes up and realizes that it was “dragged into a stupid war.”

“The Russian population has been indoctrinated by state propaganda; they do not have wide access to other sources of information, but gradually they will begin to feel that something is wrong. In fact, they are already beginning to feel it with the mobilization of thousands of Russians. And when they start to see the negative impact of the intervention they will ask themselves: Did we really need this just for some territories in eastern Ukraine?” Stano said.

Although the European Union recognizes that it cannot force the countries of the world to put sanctions on Russia to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin, it does call for international action to stop this conflict that is costing lives and destabilizing the economy of the entire world. balloon.

So far, the European Union has allocated several billions that came directly from the headquarters in Brussels to equip the Ukrainian army. Additionally, each member country has allocated other important amounts of support to Ukraine from its individual purse.

“Ukraine has to win this war, they are fighting for us, for our freedom. That is why we are supporting them without question. Close to €22 billion has been allocated to Ukraine so far, and we are committed to continuing to provide the money for as long as it is needed. We will also be there for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” concluded the agency’s spokesman.