Sir, In “Ukraine calls for fresh sanctions” (June 16), the Financial Times’s reporters mention warnings from the US and the EU that Russia could face economic sanctions if it fails to stop fostering escalation in the east of Ukraine.
Since the west’s threats began we have already seen kidnapping of monitors from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and children with the connivance of Moscow authorities, and the trespassing of the Ukrainian border by numerous trucks full of militants and arms as well as several tanks from Russian territory without any interference on behalf of Russian border guards.
Finally, the downing of a transport aircraft IL-76 causing 49 deaths saw no official condolences on behalf of the Russian Federation. Ukrainians hardly understand what else should happen in order to trigger the next wave of sanctions against Russia.
And do not forget about the background of the recent annexation of the Crimea and Moscow’s deliberate use of its energy policy as an instrument of economic coercion of Ukraine. Obviously those are links in the chain in Russia’s wish to prevent the signing of a Ukraine-EU trade deal. This new type of war is a challenge to the whole system of European values and world order.
From this perspective Ukraine’s sovereign choice must be protected and guaranteed. We need EU unity and solidarity despite Moscow’s active attempts to undermine them.

Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, Ambassador, Head of Mission of Ukraine to the EU, Brussels, Belgium