EU foreign policy chief calls for continued sanctions on Russia

EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas emphasized on Monday that the European Union remains committed to maintaining sanctions against Russia in response to its war on Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in New York after a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers, Kallas stated that sanctions are a crucial element of the bloc's strategy to strip Moscow of funding. She added that officials are working towards concluding talks on extending the Russia sanctions soon and ensure the extension occurs swiftly to maintain stability.

Kallas reiterated that the EU's stance on the matter has not changed and that the bloc is concurrently developing a new package of sanctions. However, discussions are ongoing as certain member states attempt to remove specific individuals from the EU's blacklist. Despite this, negotiations are set to persist in Brussels, focusing on extending sanctions on nearly 3,000 additional individuals and entities related to the war.

The 27-nation coalition has been striving to reach an agreement on extending the sanctions regime before a deadline late on Tuesday. Both France and Slovakia have advocated for the removal of Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov from the blacklist. Luxembourg has echoed Paris' demand, asserting that if Usmanov's sanctions were lifted, then those imposed on Mikhail Fridman should be lifted as well.