On Wednesday (April 17), European Union member states decided to intensify sanctions against Iran following its missile and drone attack on Israel, pledging to increase military aid to Ukraine amid an acute shortage of ammunition, Euractiv reported.
The Brussels summit is the first meeting of the EU’s 27 national leaders since Saturday’s attack.
“The European Council strongly and unequivocally condemns the Iranian attack on Israel and reiterates its full solidarity with the people of Israel and commitment to Israel’s security and to regional stability.”
EU leaders urge Iran and its proxies “to cease all attacks and urges all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any action that may increase tensions in the region.” They also called on all parties to prevent rising tensions, including in Lebanon, President of the European Council, Charles Michel, stated.
We feel it’s very important to do everything to isolate Iran.
Michel emphasised that new sanctions against the Islamic Republic would target drone and missile companies.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued that it was important that Israel “does not respond with a massive attack of its own.” Italy spoke separately ahead of the G7 talks in favour of sanctions against arms suppliers linked to the attack on Israel, as well as those behind the attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Iran launched the attack in response to a strike on its embassy in Damascus on April 1, which it blamed on Israel.
EU foreign ministers are due to continue work on sanctions on Monday as the United States and its Western allies hope new steps against Iran will help limit any Israeli retaliation. The bloc already has several programmes against Iran for human rights abuses, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and Tehran’s support for the war in Ukraine.
Germany, France and several EU states are considering expanding a scheme aimed at curbing Iranian drone shipments to Russia, including supplying missiles and covering deliveries to Iranian proxies in the Middle East.
Belgium backed imposing sanctions against Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, but Scholz argued that this required further legal checks. Analysts said Iran was unlikely to face harsher economic punishment because of concerns about rising oil prices and the anger of its biggest purchaser China.
With the Middle East attracting much of the EU’s attention, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought additional help in holding the line against Russia, which had recently stepped up offensives.
“Here in Ukraine, in our part of Europe, unfortunately, we do not have the level of defence that we all saw in the Middle East a few days ago. It reflects our current key need – the need for air defence.”
Reiterating his calls for faster deliveries of arms and ammunition previously promised to Ukraine, Zelensky claimed Germany’s recent push to send more Patriot air defence missiles was helpful, but asked EU leaders to do more and stick to their commitments.
I ask you to accelerate the implementation of our agreements with you – both on supplies and joint production of weapons and ammunition, and on financing relevant projects.
At the conclusion of the summit, the European Council emphasised the need “to urgently provide air defence to Ukraine and to speed up and intensify the delivery of all the necessary military assistance, including artillery ammunition and missiles”. However, the Council did not emphasise when this would happen.
