Representatives from EU countries are meeting in Luxembourg today

Ireland’s foreign minister Helen McEntee has just been speaking with reporters as she arrived at the meeting in Luxembourg, and she offered a neat summary of where we are on both issues.

On Ukraine, she said it was “really important as the EU that we make progress” on the loan and the related 20th package of sanctions against Russia to “exert as much pressure as possible on Russia.”

“Israel has, since our last meeting, enacted a new law which essentially introduces the death penalty, but in particular penalises and specifically targets Palestinian people. It’s completely unacceptable, and so we have asked for a suspension of the Israeli agreement, and if not, then a suspension on the trade elements of the Israeli agreement.

We must be seeking to have this not just as a discussion here today at the council but that there would be some clear actions at the next council meeting.”