EU to Propose Toughened Sanctions Against Russia in Autumn

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has announced plans for tougher sanctions against Russia this autumn. In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, she stated that the upcoming sanctions would be the most extensive since the start of the war and aim to increase the total number of sanctioned Russian companies and individuals by a third. The sanctions are intended to intensify pressure on Moscow until it ends its invasion of Ukraine. To date, over 3000 individuals and entities have been sanctioned, with more than €28 billion in private assets frozen. However, recent attempts to broaden the scope of EU sanctions have faced resistance from some member states, such as Greece, which secured an exemption from an EU-wide ban on Russian liquefied natural gas shipments. Kallas also expressed optimism about potential alignment with the US on Russia sanctions policy.