European Union (EU) member states reached an agreement on Thursday on the new sanctions package prepared against Russia's war in Ukraine. The package, adopted after weeks of negotiations, was approved in a scaled-down form compared to earlier proposals due to objections from some member states.
The 21st round of sanctions, imposed since Russia's military operations in Ukraine began in February 2022, maintains the existing price cap on Russian oil exports rather than tightening it. This decision reflects the compromise reached after some members of the bloc objected to key elements of the proposal.
Diplomats stated that the sanctions package was delayed due to various concerns from EU governments. As the war enters its fifth year, it is noted that maintaining consensus within the 27-member bloc is becoming increasingly difficult.
The EU announced that despite the watered-down measures, the new sanctions aim to maintain economic and political pressure on Moscow and reaffirm support for Ukraine.
Lavrov and Rubio Meet in Manila
In parallel with the sanctions decision, Russia warned the US not to continue arms shipments to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held high-level talks in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, at a time when diplomatic efforts to end the war are being revived.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, was the first official contact between Lavrov and Rubio since September 2025. It came at a time when Washington's diplomatic focus has shifted from mediating the war in Ukraine to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov told Rubio that US military support for Ukraine was "unacceptable" and called on Washington to stop arms shipments to what he described as the "Kiev regime."
Lavrov also criticized European governments for pursuing a "destabilizing policy" aimed at inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia, while reiterating that Moscow is open to a "political-diplomatic solution" to the conflict.
Since 2022, the EU has imposed numerous sanctions packages targeting Russia's financial sector, energy exports, defense industry, technology imports, and hundreds of individuals and entities linked to the Kremlin. These sanctions are considered one of the most comprehensive sanctions regimes the bloc has ever implemented.
