The screws on Russia must be urgently tightened through fresh sanctions after the devastating attack against the Ukrainian city of Sumy, foreign ministers of the European Union said as they gathered for a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. Two Russian ballistic missiles struck Sumy as the Christian faithful celebrated Palm Sunday, a festivity that honours Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. At least 34 people were killed and more than 110 were injured. "The strike hit the city centre on Palm Sunday. Only filthy scum can act like this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The attack against civilians came as Ukraine was still mourning 19 people, including nine children, who were killed in Kryvyi Rih earlier this month. Both Russian strikes bear similarities, combining ballistic missiles and cluster munitions to maximise damage. For foreign ministers, the barrage demonstrates Vladimir Putin has no interest in pursuing the peace negotiations promoted by Donald Trump. "I just want to say how appalled I am by the latest spate of Russian attacks on Ukraine," Radosław Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, said on Monday. "I hope President Trump and the US administration see that the leader of Russia is mocking that goodwill and I hope the right decisions are taken." Lithuania's Kęstutis Budrys said the "barbaric attack" on Sumy represented a "war crime by definition" and demanded a fresh package of sanctions targeting the sector left "untouched" in previous decisions, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear. The 17th package since February 2022 is believed to be in very early stages and, once presented, is expected to face Hungary's veto. Budapest has become increasingly critical of economic restrictions, going as far as threatening to block their renewal. "This is, once again, a humiliation to everyone who puts diplomatic efforts to stop this war and achieve at least a ceasefire for negotiations to begin," Budrys said. "This is the time now for us to show not only our unity but also dedication," he added. "Otherwise, we're not functioning as an organisation (but) as separate countries." His Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen, backed the calls for additional hard-hitting penalties and said the plunge in worldwide oil prices caused by Trump's sweeping tariffs was "exactly" what the West needed to weaken the Kremlin's war machine. "Russia shows full disregard for the peace process but also that Russia has zero regard for human life," Valtonen said upon arrival. "There's one person who's not interested in peace and that's Putin." Sweden's Maria Malmer Stenergard went a step further, declaring it was time to "move on and take the frozen assets." The possible seizure of the Russian Central Bank's assets, which are immobilized as part of the sanctions, has been floated in the past but gained traction after Trump came into office and began reducing military assistance for Ukraine. The sheer value of the money, worth about €210 on EU soil alone, is seen as an attractive source of revenue to compensate for America's dwindling assistance. However, some member states are reluctant to make the unprecedented move, fearing negative repercussions for the bloc's financial stability and credibility for investors. Last month, European Council President António Costa poured cold water on the momentum for confiscation, arguing the assets should remain paralysed to sustain a €45-billion loan to Kyiv and ensure Moscow eventually pays for war reparations. "That's the reason it's important to protect these assets, to (keep) these assets under control," Costa said in an event. Still, the debate is not over as Trump's pivot to Russia forces allies to reconsider long-held beliefs and embrace ambitious notions, such as full-scale rearmament. Reacting to the Sumy attack, the American president described it as "horrible" and "terrible" but appeared to lessen Russia's fault. Since taking office, Trump has been repeatedly accused of echoing the Kremlin's talking points. "I was told they made a mistake," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. Foreign ministers wholeheartedly disagreed, saying the strikes were deliberate. "I don't know what he's learning and what he's not learning, but the facts are on the ground and in the face of everyone: Russia is killing civilians and it's killing civilians on the way to the church," Latvia's Baiba Braže said when asked about Trump. "It's a double whammy. Russians knew what they were doing." High Representative Kaja Kallas, who chaired Monday's meeting in Luxembourg, added her voice to the collective outrage and endorsed the push for new sanctions. "We have to put the pressure – the maximum pressure – on Russia to really end this war because it takes two to want peace (but) it only takes one to want war," Kallas said. Kallas has spent the past weeks urging member states to step up their military support for Ukraine, putting forward a plan with an ideal figure of €40 billion for 2025. The blueprint, which is based on gross national income (GNI) to ensure donations are fairly distributed, was well received by small member states but met with the resistance of bigger ones, like France and Italy, who scoffed at the mathematical formulation. Faced with political opposition, Kallas re-focused her plan on the goal to quickly gather €5 billion to deliver 2 million rounds of ammunition shells to Ukraine. According to the High Representative, two-thirds of the €5 billion have already been secured. — Euronews
