Bans on Russian combatants entering Europe and LNG flows have been significantly scaled back in ambition
EU countries are set to approve a hollowed out proposal from the European Commission to step up pressure on Russia on Friday, amid disputes over banning soldiers from travelling and sanctions on LNG.
National envoys are attempting to reach a deal, passing it onto foreign ministers on Monday, having largely emptied the proposed package, the 21st since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, of its strongest elements.
“The aim is to bring the package to conclusion,” said one senior EU diplomat, adding that negotiations are ongoing and that the package could still fail to be approved.
France, Italy and Greece have pushed to severely neuter a Baltic-led ban on Russian soldiers from entering the bloc. The Estonian and Lithuanian scheme, later formally proposed by the Berlaymont, envisaged barring former soldiers from the EU.
