MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. The EU failed to approve its 21st sanctions package as the Coalition of the willing postponed troop deployment talks; Russia’s trade surplus grew in January-May on higher exports and stronger trade with Asia; and Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget faces Senate uncertainty over Mitch McConnell’s absence. These stories topped Tuesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Media: EU struggles to agree on 21st sanctions package as Coalition of the Willing postpones troop deployment talks
European allies of Ukraine aimed to signal that they expect developments in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in the near future. The Coalition of the Willing, a group of countries prepared to deploy troops to Ukrainian territory after hostilities end, discussed the first joint military exercises in its history. The apparent goal was to lend greater significance to this largely symbolic step through approval of the European Union’s sweeping 21st package of anti-Russian sanctions. However, as of Monday, July 13, EU foreign ministers had not managed to reach agreement on the package. Instead, they approved another limited sanctions package that includes, among others, the Russian social media platform VKontakte and the Max messenger.
