"We must continue our support to Ukraine in all of its forms and we must be ready to take more sanctions because the more impact we take with sanctions, the more expensive it will become for Russia to continue this war. The sanctions must be reflected in the everyday lives of ordinary Russians," Marin said during the plenary session of the European Parliament.
Marin also noted that the lifting of the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia was "a well-founded decision," but it was "not enough."
Prime minister of Finland Sanna Marin holds a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, on August 19, 2022, after videos showing her partying and leaked into social media have sparked criticism.
© AFP 2023 / RONI REKOMAA
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, after the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow.
On September 6, the European Union adopted a proposal to fully suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Moscow. The suspension, which entered into effect on Monday, means the visa fee is raised from 35 euros ($35) to 80 euros and the issuance procedure is extended to up to six months. Some European countries stopped issuing tourist visas to Russians altogether.
Moscow repeatedly warned Europe that anti-Russian sanctions would only result in further escalation and won't solve the crisis. At the same time, the restrictions imposed by the West resulted in skyrocketing energy prices worldwide, leading to high inflation in Europe. In some cases, the EU countries had to adopt economy measures and emergency plans, while record-high energy bills caused mass concerns among common Europeans.