News - Middle East: The European Union (EU) says its ministers have reached an agreement to prepare fresh sanctions against Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said the foreign ministers, at an informal meeting, agreed to push ahead with the new sanctions.

He said the ministers’ political decision was made to apply new sectorial and individual measures against Moscow.

After being briefed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the EU ministers agreed to task their teams with preparing the eighth sanctions package that would target “more relevant sectors of the Russian economy and continue targeting people responsible for the war of aggression in Ukraine,” Borrell said. He added that the ministers also agreed to ramp up weapons supplies to Ukraine. 

The EU’s 27 foreign ministers are in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Borrell’s comment came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization in the Russian Federation due to begin on Wednesday. Putin said he was taking necessary steps to protect Russia's sovereignty as the West is looking to “weaken” and “destroy” his country.

“We are talking about partial mobilization, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and above all, those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant experience,” Putin stated in his televised address.

This is Russia’s first wartime mobilization since World War Two.

Borrell, however, claimed the Russian president’s announcement showed panic and desperation, alleging that Moscow wants to annex parts of Ukraine. “The ministers have to discuss this threat, to reiterate the continuing support to Ukraine and to alert the international community about the unacceptable situation in which Putin is putting all of us. It’s clear that Putin is trying to destroy Ukraine. We will not be intimidated.”

The European ministers will hold their next formal meeting in mid-October, when the sanctions package could be formalized.