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What did Lavrov's wider war aims signal in July 2022?
Summary
A look back at the 20 July 2022 statements and sanctions that framed the Russo-Ukrainian War's next phase.
What did Moscow say about its goals in Ukraine as of 21 July 2022? The previous day, 20 July, had brought a notable widening of Russia's stated aims, alongside new European Union sanctions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on 20 July that his country's military goals were no longer limited to the Donbas region. They now also covered, in his words as reported, the Kherson region, the Zaporizhzhia region and a number of other territories.
The same day, the European Union moved against Russia's economy. It banned imports of gold from Russia and froze the assets of Sberbank. Both measures formed part of the international sanctions imposed during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Taken together, the two developments of 20 July showed a statement of expanded military objectives from Russia's top diplomat and a further tightening of EU economic measures. Both were being discussed as the war continued on 21 July 2022.
