The discussion of the 11th package of sanctions against Russia due to its war against Ukraine is still ongoing.
This was announced by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, before the start of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs meeting in Luxembourg on April 24, he was quoted by the European External Relations Service.
The mass media asked the head of EU diplomacy whether the European Union would agree to the inclusion in the 11th package of restrictions against the nuclear energy industry of the Russian Federation, as demanded by some member states.
"Today we are not in the situation to complete work on a new package of sanctions against Russia. We will continue the discussion," Borrell replied.
According to Politico, on April 21, the European Commission met with diplomats from 27 EU member states to discuss the bloc's 11th package of sanctions against Russia.
The publication clarifies that one of the topics of the meeting was sanctions against the Russian nuclear company Rosatom, and this is a controversial issue for some EU countries, in particular France. Although most commercial cooperation was frozen or stopped last year, French state companies continue to maintain certain ties with Rosatom.
Diplomats from four EU countries told reporters that "Paris is hiding behind Budapest on the issue of nuclear sanctions."
"Because Hungary has been very clear, very loud, very visible on this issue, I think that some other countries, including France ... don't really need to lobby their case," one diplomat said.
The European Union first imposed sanctions against Russia in response to its aggression against Ukraine in 2014. In 2022, after the full-scale invasion of Russian troops, the restrictions were significantly expanded: during the year, the EU adopted 10 packages of sanctions, the last one on the anniversary of the invasion, February 24.
According to the media, in the new, 11th package of sanctions of the European Union against Russia, there will be no restrictions on nuclear energy and the sale of diamonds.
