President of the European Council Donald Tusk in his interview with the New York Times before meeting with the U.S. President Barack Obama said that Europe needs to draw clear lessons from the war in Ukraine:
“We have to use this Ukrainian crisis also as something like an education” for the whole of Europe about “how serious the situation can be” for other countries in the region.”
Mr. Tusk added that EU isn’t going to provide more strict sanctions against Russia because of Kremlin’s provocations and because of “powerful lobbies in Britain, France and Germany have already made it difficult for the European Union to impose more sweeping sanctions in order to protect industries like finance, arms and energy”:
“We have to start to live without illusions,” he said and added “To build consensus between 28 democracies — because it’s not only states — but democracies” is very “difficult”. A raft of sanctions imposed on Russia since it seized Crimea had shown Europe’s desire to remain united and went further than some European governments wanted.”
President of the European Council Donald Tusk and United States President Barack Obama held the meeting in Washington on Monday, February 9, 2015. The leaders discussed the problems of the violation of the Minsk Agreement by pro-Russian terrorists and about reforms in Ukraine and problems in Ukrainian economy and came to the conclusion that parties “are united on the need for full implement of the Minsk Agreement and also in our determination to maintain the sanctions on Russia until the Minsk Agreement is fully implemented,” stressed Donald Tusk.
