EU diplomats – No agreement on new sanctions against Russia for the time being
EU member states failed on Wednesday to agree on new sanctions against Russia, which were due to come into force on the anniversary of Friday’s invasion of Ukraine. Negotiations would continue on Thursday, several diplomats told Reuters. One of the diplomats assumed that the decision would be made in good time: “We remain confident that an agreement will be reached quickly tomorrow.” This could then be formally decided on Friday.
The EU’s most comprehensive package of sanctions to date is planned. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a volume of around eleven billion euros last week. The diplomats said some countries are reluctant to face fines for non-compliance with sanctions. The planned measures include an import ban on Russian rubber and export bans on technical equipment and spare parts essential to the war effort. The EU Commission also wants Russian assets to be better recorded, which could then be used to rebuild Ukraine.