EU sanctions push stalls as bloc fractures over Russia
Foreign ministers fail to agree on new measures against Moscow, exposing internal divisions as Brussels weighs alternative pressure tools and warns the war’s fourth year is reshaping Europe’s security outlook.
The European Union has failed to approve a new sanctions package against Russia, in a setback that highlighted deepening divisions inside the bloc as the war in Ukraine approaches its fourth year.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday described the failure to secure a consensus among foreign ministers meeting in Brussels as a “setback,” while insisting negotiations would continue.
She said discussions were ongoing with Viktor Orban and Slovak leaders after opposition from some member states blocked the proposed 20th sanctions round.
“The message we sent today is not the one we wanted,” Kallas said, warning that internal resistance risks undermining Europe’s credibility at a time when the conflict is reshaping the continent’s security architecture.
‘Pressure must focus on Russia’
The EU had explored using frozen Russian assets to reinforce sanctions enforcement, and Kallas signalled that the option could return to the table if diplomatic outreach fails.
On Ukraine, she stressed that the burden for ending the war lies with Moscow, not Kiev, arguing that Russia’s demands for territorial concessions cannot form the basis for negotiations.
“It’s not Ukraine that is the obstacle to peace,” she said, adding that pressure must focus on Russia to meet conditions for a just settlement.
The bloc is also tightening security measures, including limiting the size of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the EU and examining steps to prevent former Russian fighters from entering the Schengen area.
Beyond the Ukraine war, Kallas warned that escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran risk sparking a wider regional crisis, and reiterated EU concern over settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
Despite the setback on sanctions, she insisted the EU would continue pushing for unity, calling sustained pressure on Russia essential to European security.