President Dan: Each of the sanctions packages has affected Russia economically

Each of the sanctions packages has affected Russia economically, Romania's President Nicusor Dan said on Thursday before attending a European Council summit.He said that the passage of the 19th package of sanctions "is a good thing.""It's a discussion that has been going on all these three weeks. We will see from the leaders' discussion if we reach a consensus or if we postpone the decision until December," the president said, referring to the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Dan also said that opinions are divided.EU countries on Thursday formally adopted a 19th package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine that includes a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports. They approved the package on Wednesday evening after Slovakia dropped its block, according to the Reuters news agency.The new sanctions, which the EU unanimously approved even before European leaders attended the European Council in Brussels, include a progressive ban on LNG imports. The LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months and long-term contracts from January 1, 2027.The EU has also decided to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats between EU countries and add 45 companies that help Russia evade sanctions, including 12 from China, three from India and two from Thailand.Aftter a tense meeting of Trump and Zelenskiy at the White House last Friday, European leaders were eager to prove that Ukraine can continue to rely on their support.One sign of long-term support is a proposal by the European Commission to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to provide a EUR 140 billion euro "reparation loan" to Ukraine.Under the plan, the EU would use cash balances from frozen Russian central bank securities to give Kyiv support that would cover much of its funding needs for 2026 and 2027.   EU countries must equip themselves to deter Russia 'from considering an attack on Europe,' Romania's President Nicusor Dan said on Thursday ahead of his participation in the European Council meeting.'In my estimation, we have been facing a hybrid war for at least ten years. We are seeing provocations all along the eastern border of the Union. It is no surprise that we must prepare. We need to equip ourselves in order to deter Russia from considering an attack on Europe. For the moment, my message is for people to remain calm, because we are economically much stronger than Russia, and if we prepare properly, there is no such danger,' the head of state said.He added that hybrid threats remain a 'concern' for the European Council.    President Nicusor Dan, participating on Thursday in the European Council meeting in Brussels, said that security and defense projects need to be implemented in close EU-NATO coordination."We are discussing European security, defense projects, the drone wall, sanctions against Russia, but also social and economic issues. It is important to advance in the implementation of security and defense projects in close EU-NATO coordination," the head of the state wrote on X.He mentioned that European leaders are trying to find a balance between climate policies and maintaining the competitiveness of states' economies so that the impact on companies and citizens is as low as possible."Another important topic on the agenda that is being discussed for the first time at the Council regards access to housing. The European Commission will prepare by the end of the year an action plan to make access to housing easier," the president said. (Photo:https://www.presidency.ro/)