The EU is working on a package of sanctions against Russia in the event of an escalation of the situation in Ukraine

 

 The European Union is working on a package of economic and financial sanctions against Russia in the event that the situation in Ukraine escalates, said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schalenberg in an interview with Presse am Sonntag.

"We are currently working on an extensive package of economic and financial sanctions. In the event of an escalation, a very clear, unambiguous and swift response will follow," Schalenberg said.

 The Austrian Foreign Minister did not rule out the possibility of excluding Russia from the SWIFT system. "Nothing is excluded from the discussion. Much will depend on what is actually happening. If Russian troops invade Ukrainian territory on a broad front, then this is the worst case scenario. There are other scenarios: cyberattacks, attacks on mercenaries without identification. "said Schalenberg.

At the same time, he again opposed sanctions against the Nord Stream-2 project because of the situation in Ukraine. "We in Europe are somewhat dependent on energy from Russia. That is the reality, and Nord Stream 2 is not yet part of that reality. We will not change that overnight if we want to have heat and electricity." he concluded.