Reach a disagreement: Several EU countries are blocking the 21st package of sanctions.
Several countries are blocking the adoption of new sanctions against Russia, Izvestia found out. Austria and Greece can do this. Earlier, the European Commission had already made concessions to Bulgaria, and also abandoned the ban on fish imports from the Russian Federation. Experts believe that the 21st package, after excluding a number of items, will become more symbolic and will not be accepted until autumn. Meanwhile, the leaders of the "coalition of the willing" met in France to strengthen military support for Ukraine. According to a source in Izvestia, sending foreign troops has not yet been discussed. Nevertheless, the Kremlin called them instigators of war.
When will the EU approve a new package of sanctions
EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels could not agree on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, the head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, officially announced after a meeting of the Council on Foreign Affairs. Although Brussels, it would seem, has already made concessions to some members of the association and refused to blacklist Patriarch Kirill and businessman Vagit Alekperov, according to Ukrainian media. This was actively demanded by Bulgaria, which had already postponed the adoption of the 21st package in June. Also, the proposal to ban the import of cod, pollock and some other types of fish from the Russian Federation to the EU was allegedly removed from the agenda. According to Euractiv, Brussels was unable to make progress on the issue of an entry ban for its participants, the wording of which turned out to be dissatisfied in Italy and France.
However, it was still not possible to resolve all objections to the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, a European source told Izvestia.
— A number of countries have not yet withdrawn their claims to certain provisions. The negotiation process on the 21st package of sanctions is ongoing, and it is planned to adopt it as soon as possible," the source said.
According to media reports, Austria has demanded that restrictions be lifted on the Russian investment company Rasperia, which has multibillion-dollar legal claims against a subsidiary of Raiffeisen. Vienna put forward the same condition before adopting the 19th package of sanctions. Greece, Cyprus and Malta oppose bans on Russian LNG shipments, as their shipping companies generate significant revenues. Previously, Brussels had the biggest problems with Hungary and Slovakia, but in the case of Budapest, it was possible to reduce tensions with the departure of Viktor Orban, and the EU simply pushed through Bratislava, Izvestia wrote earlier.
After all the revisions, the 21st package actually turned into an expansion of the list of sanctioned banks, legal entities and courts. In particular, the EC proposes to disconnect 31 Russian banks from the SWIFT system, as well as 20 banks, crypto platforms and oil traders in third countries. But it will not have a serious impact on the Russian economy. There was no consensus in the EU on such measures, but the European Union can no longer disapprove of any restrictions against Russia. Therefore, instead of a full-fledged package, Brussels simply blacklisted 250 individuals. VK holding and the legal entity of the Maks messenger also came under restrictions. The companies' press services noted that the sanctions would not affect their work either.
Consideration of the 21st package of sanctions may be postponed to the autumn, since even a significantly simplified version has not yet been agreed upon, Egor Sergeev, senior researcher at the MGIMO Institute of International Studies at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia. However, the contradictions will only intensify over time, especially given the planned abandonment of Russian LNG imports from 2027. Brussels as a whole has moved from large-scale packages of restrictions to more targeted and often even symbolic measures. A significant number of possible sanctions have already been imposed, and it is becoming more difficult to coordinate new ones. But all these contradictions are mainly of a tactical nature, and the EU's strategic course towards a systemic confrontation with Russia is not changing, Sergeev concluded.
Meeting of the "coalition of the willing" in Paris
The Europeans are trying to increase the pressure, as usual, on several fronts. Another summit was held in France on July 13. The "Coalition of the Willing" gathered 25 leaders in Paris, and Vladimir Zelensky was also invited. At the last congress in January, the leaders of France and Great Britain signed a declaration on the possibility of deploying multinational forces on the territory of Ukraine in the event of a cease-fire. Russia has categorically rejected such a scenario. Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow considers these countries to be "warmongers."
A substantive discussion on sending coalition troops to Ukraine has not yet been conducted, a European diplomatic source told Izvestia.
— Europe, within the framework of the "coalition of the willing", is ready to help ensure security guarantees for monitoring compliance with the ceasefire regime or for deploying multinational forces to support the defense of Ukraine <...>. However, it needs to be acceptable. There is no discussion on this issue right now," the Izvestia source stressed.
At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron said after the summit that a "coalition of willing" had decided to hold exercises in the countries bordering Ukraine. The purpose of the maneuvers is "to show determination," he said. No specific dates or plans for the maneuvers were provided.
According to the statements of the Elysee Palace, it was the military support of Ukraine, as well as the mobilization of industry, that became the main topic. Earlier, at the Ankara summit, the North Atlantic Alliance approved a €70 billion aid package for Ukraine. The coalition is likely to act in the same direction. Moreover, the French newspaper Le Monde reported serious problems of the Ukrainian air defense system due to the shortage of Patriot missiles. To address this issue, a special coalition was announced in Paris consisting of Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, France and Sweden. Emmanuel Macron said that Kiev will receive a license for the joint production of SCALP, Aster 30 missiles and AASM bombs. And deliveries of SAMP-T missiles to Ukraine will begin in the coming weeks.
The "coalition of the willing" has focused on supplying Kiev, since the deployment of troops to Ukraine without guarantees from Washington is impossible, said Alisa Kazelko, an expert at Valdai, in an interview with Izvestia. In her opinion, the main task of this group is to show Moscow's willingness to continue supporting Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the coalition is expanding — Moldova and North Macedonia have joined it, and the total number of participating countries has grown to 37. However, Great Britain, Germany and France remain the core of the alliance. The coalition was created in 2025 in many ways so that Europe could compensate for the reduction in US support. Now the Eurotroika is trying to start its own negotiations with Russia. For example, in June, the ambassadors of the three countries met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and in winter Bloomberg reported on the visit of French presidential adviser Emmanuel Bonn to Moscow.
The simultaneous holding of meetings on sanctions and military assistance to Ukraine is not accidental. Europe is sending new signals about plans to continue putting pressure on Moscow. However, in both cases, the radical anti-Russian wing fails to gain full support. However, this cannot be called steps towards a settlement. To do this, we need to abandon endless restrictions and start substantive negotiations with Russia.
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