EU fails to approve new Russia sanctions, ball now in Slovakia’s court, says EU foreign chief

The European Union did not reach agreement on its 18th sanctions package against Russia on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed following a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.

Kallas expressed disappointment over the delay, saying she was "really sad" the measures were not approved but remained optimistic that a deal could be finalised on Wednesday. “The ball is in Slovakia’s court now,” she said, referring to Slovakia’s continued objections.

Bratislava has been holding up the package over concerns linked to a separate EU proposal to phase out Russian gas imports by 1 January 2028.

According to sources cited by Reuters, the content of the sanctions package had been broadly agreed, though one member state still had reservations regarding a proposed adjustment to the price cap on Russian oil.

The European Commission introduced the new round of sanctions last month in response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The package targets revenues from Moscow’s energy sector, its banking system, and its military-industrial complex.

Key proposals include a ban on transactions with Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines and sanctions on financial institutions involved in circumventing existing measures. It also proposes a floating price cap on Russian crude oil set at 15% below the average market price over the previous three months, according to EU diplomats.

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