EU ambassadors have agreed on the bloc’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia after weeks of delays caused by disputes over measures affecting member states’ economic interests.
The package is now undergoing final technical checks, with the formal approval procedure expected to begin later Thursday, according to an EU official cited by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
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The deal comes after several countries pushed back against parts of the package, forcing Brussels to scale back or drop some measures.
The disputes shifted from Hungary, whose former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was long seen as the EU’s main obstacle on Russia sanctions, to other capitals defending their own industries.
EU sanctions require unanimous approval from all 27 member states.
Greece opposed restrictions on EU companies transporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), citing risks to its shipping sector.
Austria pushed back against measures affecting Raiffeisen Bank International, while Bulgaria, France, and Italy objected to sanctions targeting some Russian individuals and former military personnel.
Several proposals were weakened during negotiations, including a planned phaseout of Russian fish imports and sanctions against Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a key supporter of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Despite the compromises, the package is expected to expand pressure on Moscow by adding more Russian banks to SWIFT restrictions and imposing travel bans on hundreds of additional individuals.
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The final text has not yet been officially released. Once approved, it will become the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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