EU rules out new sanctions against Russia

Leaders of the European Union (EU) decided to mount diplomatic pressure rather than impose extra sanctions against Russia over its role in Syria, European Council President Donald Tusk said late Thursday after a one-day summit.

"We are not indifferent to the suffering of the Syrian people. We will exert pressure on other global players who are present in Syria using all available diplomatic channels," Tusk told reporters.

"The aim is clear: the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors to allow aid into Aleppo and for civilians to be evacuated safely under neutral, international supervision," he added.

However, when asked about concrete measures against Russia, Tusk ruled out sanctions, saying: "It's impossible to stop the conflict by force. The EU has no intention or capacity to use this kind of measures or methods."

"We didn't discuss new sanctions as measures," he said.

Tusk invited a local official of Syrian northern city of Aleppo to the EU Summit so that "the voice of the people of Aleppo is heard, at least in this symbolic way."

Echoing Tusk's remarks, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni also confirmed that the EU would not adopt extra sanctions on Russia over the Syrian conflict.

"We had a discussion that luckily ended without considering the option - which would have been wrong, I think - to react to the situation in Syria and Aleppo with EU sanctions against Russia," Gentiloni said.

"The card we are playing today is (calling for a) cease-fire and (the start of) negotiations, it is not the card of sanctions," Gentiloni added.

He said a majority of countries agree with Italy that more sanctions on Russia, on top of those already in place in connection with Ukraine, would be "a mistake."

On the same day of the EU summit, buses carrying rebels started to leave eastern Aleppo, as part of a deal to evacuate all the rebels from the city, state TV reported.

Green-colored government buses started leaving the few remaining rebel-held areas in southeastern Aleppo, as part of a deal concluded recently between Turkey and Russia for the evacuation of rebels and their families out of the last remaining strongholds in eastern Aleppo, according to the report.

About 15,000 people, including 4,000 rebels, were expected to be evacuated on Thursday, as part of the Russian-Turkish deal.

According to the deal, the rebels will have to surrender their weapons, except personal ones.

The deal also stipulates that both parties should observe a truce during the evacuation.

With the evacuation, the Syrian army will take over the whole Aleppo city, as it has already controlled 99 percent of the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.

source: Xinhua