European Union ambassadors are meeting in Brussels today in the Committee of Permanent Representatives’ final session before the summer recess, in a last-ditch attempt to agree on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia after weeks of stalled negotiations have left the bloc’s most ambitious anti-Moscow measures on ice.
The package, formally proposed by the European Commission on June 9, targets Russia’s shadow oil fleet, LNG tanker sales, banking and crypto networks, drone production, and introduces EU travel bans on former Russian combatants for the first time. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described it as the largest set of individual listings the bloc has ever attempted, with 250 names ready to be added to the blacklist.
But agreement remains elusive. Greece is demanding an extension of permissions to re-export Russian LNG to third countries, a measure it says is vital to its energy security. Austria wants a Russian investment company removed from the proposed listings to allow frozen funds to be released.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said member states remained undecided on the maritime services ban and tighter LNG restrictions, the two provisions that would give the package the most economic bite.
Envoys failed to agree at a July 15 session. The oil price cap, currently set at $44.10 per barrel, was extended until today to avert an automatic increase while talks continued. If agreement fails again today, the package will be delayed until September.
