EU envoys fail again to agree on extending personal sanctions against Russia – media
On Thursday, March 13, during a meeting, the EU ambassadors failed to agree on extending personal sanctions against Russia. They will expire on March 15, 2025.
A top EU diplomat said this in a commentary to Suspilne on condition of anonymity, Censor.NET reports.
"Yesterday the meeting was postponed, today it started late, and I think it will be a rather tough discussion," the diplomat said.
He noted that another meeting of EU ambassadors will be held on March 14 on this issue.
It is noted that in order to agree on the extension of sanctions, Hungary demands the exclusion of some names from the list. Also, 1-2 more member states are putting forward their own demands for exclusion.
"If you look at the names, it is obvious that Hungary has some financial reasons," the source said.
Another top diplomat said that we are talking about a significant amount of money that has been frozen as a result of personal sanctions. It's not just money, it's also real estate, yachts, real estate and everything else, the source emphasized.
Almost all member states would like to see these sanctions extended, keeping maximum pressure on Russia and maintaining EU unity. The top diplomat said that this is a "delicate matter" and "one removal could jeopardize the whole package" of individual sanctions.
"As far as I understand, there may be some kind of plan B. We can try, say, a qualified majority vote (15 out of 27 members, representing at least 65% of the EU population, voted) or unanimity, on the one hand, and on the other hand, we can try different parts of the sanctions system - asset freezes and travel bans," the source told Suspilne.
