The likelihood has increased that the member states will adopt the nineteenth EU sanctions package against Russia later this week. Promises have been made to Slovakia, which is why the country wants to drop its opposition to it, several EU diplomats report. The nineteenth package will not be the last, said EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas after the meeting with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. (Photo: Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Photo/AP/dpa)
LUXEMBOURG – “The ministers made it clear today that we need to work on the next package after the nineteenth package,” said Kallas.
The member states agree with Kallas’s proposal to tackle the Russian shadow fleet more strictly, for example, by implementing controls on oil tankers. She has appointed a special envoy to gather good examples from member states. “We need a more robust EU-wide approach against the shadow fleet to further reduce Russian war funds,” Kallas believes.
There is still no agreement on the use of frozen Russian assets. The European Commission wants to use 141 billion euros for a loan to Ukraine. Belgium is one of the opponents, as the country fears repercussions from Russia. This concerns money held by the Belgium-based financial institution Euroclear.
Other countries, such as France, want to impose strict spending rules on Ukraine, according to EU sources, such as that the money can only be used for purchases of defense equipment in Europe. Diplomatic discussions on this will continue in the coming days.
The ministers have asked the European Commission to come up with additional proposals to better support Ukrainian energy security, Kallas said. “Russian terror attacks on the energy network are increasing.”
(October 20, 2025)
