European Union countries failed to agree on a new batch of sanctions against Moscow on Wednesday, four diplomatic sources told Reuters. The restrictions are reportedly meant to be in place for the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine conflict, on Friday.
“There are several issues outstanding, including on rubber and reporting obligations of Russian assets in Europe,” one of the anonymous sources explained.
More talks among the representatives of EU member states were due on Thursday afternoon, the sources claimed.
On Monday, the EU extended for another year an array of sanctions on Russia, imposed over the conflict in Ukraine. European Council President Charles Michel acknowledged earlier that debates on new penalties targeting Russia have become more challenging as the bloc has already imposed nearly every possible major sanction on the country and there are “not many things left” to do.
The proposed tenth package of EU sanctions on Russia will reportedly be worth €11 billion ($11.7 billion) and focus on stopping sales of high-tech goods that can be used in weapons systems.
The export blacklist will reportedly include electronics, lasers, radio equipment, software, avionics, marine cameras and rare-earth minerals, as well as other more specific components used in nanotechnology.
Brussels has so far adopted nine sanctions packages on Russia, targeting numerous sectors of the economy, as well as businessmen, politicians, and journalists.
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