Russia's war, the energy crisis and inflation: These were the top 5 stories in the EU this year
2022 will go down as one of the most challenging years in the EU's history as the bloc grappled with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its humanitarian and financial consequences.
These include a deep energy crisis and record inflation.
Here's a breakdown of the biggest stories in the EU this year.
The EU was quick to condemn Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24 after months of concern about the gathering of tens of thousands of Russian troops on the country's border.
Since then, the EU has repeatedly demanded that Russia cease its military actions in Ukraine and withdraw all forces from its territory, calling the invasion "unprovoked" and "unjustified".
The bloc has so far rolled out nine packages of sanctions aimed at derailing Moscow's ability to fund the war. They target Russia's banks and exports of seaborne oil, coal, steel, and wood and prohibit exports from the EU of any material, such as technology, that can be used by the military.
The list of Russian individuals and entities under sanctions has meanwhile grown to over 1,500 and includes President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, high-ranking officials, oligarchs and propagandists.
The bloc has also sent numerous humanitarian and military aid packages to Ukraine.
Millions of Ukrainians, mostly women and children, who fled the war and sought safety in Europe were granted the right to work and go to school.
The EU is also financing the purchase and delivery of weapons to Ukraine and has so far spent a collective €3.1 billion through the European Peace Facility (EPC) to that effect. This is on top of the bilateral military assistance some EU countries have also provided Ukraine.
The bloc launched a 'European Union
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