EU chief signals sweeping new sanctions package against Russia

The European Union is preparing to implement a substantial new package of sanctions against Russia, signaling a continued commitment to increasing pressure on Moscow. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, announced the intention to expand sanctions significantly in the coming months, aiming to cripple Russia's war machine.

"The EU's sanctions have already cost Russia dearly and deprived the country's war machine of over a trillion euros," Kallas told German daily Die Welt. She indicated that the upcoming sanctions list, to be presented in the fall, would be the most extensive since the war began. "Once adopted, they will immediately increase the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by one-third. The pressure must continue to grow until Russia ends its war," she added.

This move follows the EU's 21st sanctions package, adopted in July, which targeted Russia's banking sector, cryptocurrency networks, and oil trade. Previous measures included prohibiting European companies and individuals from transferring money to 32 additional Russian banks and freezing the oil price cap for a year to prevent Russia from profiting from potential price increases. The EU also sanctioned ships linked to Russia's "shadow fleet."

Russia has continued its near-daily missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, recently intensifying attacks with ballistic missiles, exploiting Ukraine's air defense shortages. The ongoing conflict has led to significant casualties, with 19 people reported killed in attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday.