Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the sanctions last Wednesday. However, it is the Member States that must approve the measures, which are of course being taken again because of the Russian war in Ukraine. Von der Leyen wants to add, among other things, the Russian armed forces and three banks to the European sanctions list. She also asks member states to restrict Russian access to drones and to expand export restrictions on dual-use products.
However, the 27 EU ambassadors have not yet reached an agreement on the package, it was announced on Monday evening. “The differences are technical and legal rather than political, especially with regard to agricultural products and fertilizers,” it says. Talks will continue on Tuesday with those countries that still have problems with the current proposals.
Belgium remains optimistic that a solution can be found before Thursday’s meeting of European heads of state and government.