The EU plans to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia by the end of this week, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaia Kallas after the EU Council meeting in Brussels on June 23
According to her, European politicians are seeking to adopt a new package of restrictive measures between June 23 and 29 to increase pressure on the Kremlin in the context of its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The EU foreign policy chief stressed that each new restriction is a strong blow to Russia's ability to wage war and will try to block all the levers for financial support for military operations. Kallas said that among the main cards of command is the imposition of strict restrictions on Russian oil prices, which remain on Brussels' agenda. At the same time, the EU high-ranking official has every reason to assure that a decision on sanctions will be finally made by the end of June. In general, the upcoming package is expected to introduce a number of new economic and financial restrictions, in particular on the import of Russian goods, access to technology and assets of Russian businessmen, as well as to strengthen control over Moscow's financial flows. This is part of a broader strategic campaign of the EU, where sanctions are one of the key tools for putting pressure on the Russian regime to end the war and return to a diplomatic solution to the crisis. It is invaluable that within the framework of the sanctions policy, the European Union is not limited to political declarations. There is active work on a system of strict financial restrictions that really complicate Russia's financial activities and reduce its ability to wage war. It is also important to note that among the key aspects of the discussions is the situation with oil price restrictions. As reported by "European Truth", the EU currently does not support the G7 initiative to reduce the maximum price for Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, as several countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, have their own political and economic interests and do not want to join the strict restrictions. According to open sources, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reports every week that he and his colleagues in other member states have decided not to support this EU initiative. It is worth noting that in this context, the issue of a unified approach in the EU to price restrictions and their impact on the global energy market is particularly relevant. In addition, no less important is the fact that next week, on June 26-27, meetings of the European Council are scheduled in Brussels. It is expected that further steps will be discussed there regarding sanctions policy, as well as issues of unity and cooperation among member states in confronting Russian aggression. Special attention will be paid to the situation with Ukraine's membership in the EU, as well as humanitarian aspects of assistance to Ukrainians who have suffered due to the war. In parallel, negotiations are intensifying around political and economic issues, in particular regarding sanctions, which should restrain the Kremlin's actions and contribute to a speedy end to the war. In such conditions, Ukraine is actively following the news from Brussels and hopes for further support from the European Union. In a period of large-scale diplomacy, when the emphasis is shifting to strengthening sanctions measures and strengthening unity among EU members, the issue of new restrictions is becoming key not only for European policy, but also for global security and stability. In general, expectations from the meeting of the EU Council and the future European Council are focused on defining the boundaries and format of the sanctions mechanisms, their impact on Russia and, accordingly, on the course of the war in Ukraine. And although the issues of oil price restrictions and possible tightening of restrictions on imports and exports remain in the spotlight, it is important to understand that each decision has significant consequences for the whole of Europe and the global economy, because sanctions are not only a policy tool, but also a means of countering one of the greatest crises of our time.