The European Union is pursuing another round of sanctions against Russia, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, after a foiled attack on an airport heightened security concerns across the continent. The move would add to one of the most extensive sanctions regimes ever assembled.
Kallas indicated that member states are working on measures aimed at tightening existing restrictions and closing loopholes that have allowed some trade to continue. European officials have grown frustrated with efforts to circumvent earlier packages through third countries and shadow shipping networks.
Any new package requires the agreement of all member states, a process that has become harder as several governments question the economic cost of prolonged confrontation. Energy prices, industrial competitiveness and the strain on public finances have all featured in recent debates.
Moscow has repeatedly said sanctions will not change its course and has redirected much of its trade toward Asia. For Brussels, the challenge is to keep the bloc united while showing the pressure still carries weight, even as the conflict grinds on with no clear end in sight.
