During a meeting of the EU Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) in Brussels on July 16, EU ambassadors again failed to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia.
Points of attention
- Slovakia and Malta are blocking the adoption of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia due to concerns about potential losses and declining oil prices.
- The EU's efforts to agree on sanctions against Russia have faced challenges, with discussions ongoing to address the objections raised by the two countries.
- The 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia remains unapproved, with diplomats indicating that discussions will continue to resolve the deadlock.
The 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia is “sliding”: what is known
This was reported by several diplomats familiar with the course of the discussion.
The 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia was not approved at a meeting of EU ambassadors on July 16.
The Coreper meeting has ended, and the 18th package of sanctions against Russia was again not approved. Two states continue to block the package, and discussions with them are ongoing.
Diplomats reported that Slovakia and Malta continue to refuse to approve the specified package of sanctions against Russia.
Discussion of sanctions against the Russian Federation and the 18th package will be included in the agenda of the EU Council meeting on General Affairs on July 18, another diplomat said.
As a reminder, the 18th package of sanctions against Russia was one of the key topics of the EU Council meeting on Foreign Affairs on July 15. The EU's top diplomat, Kaia Kallas, said that the countries were "very close" to an agreement and expressed hope that a decision would be made "as early as today."
Slovakia has so far blocked new sanctions, demanding guarantees from the European Commission that it will not suffer losses after the EU completely abandons Russian gas in 2028.
Malta, as far as is known, has its reservations about lowering the "price ceiling" on Russian oil.
