European Union countries on Thursday agreed a new watered-down round of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war after weeks of haggling, freezing the level of an oil price cap.
The package - the 21st by the EU since Moscow's 2022 invasion - was held up by a raft of objections by member states to various proposed elements.
"Our 21st sanctions package targets the sectors with the highest impact: energy, financial services, crypto, and trade," European Council head Antonio Costa posted online.
Diplomats said the final hurdle was overcome after Greece was granted an exemption allowing one of its shipping firms to carry on transporting Russian liquefied natural gas from the Arctic.
Ambassadors from the EU's 27 member states had been racing to seal an agreement to lock in a price cap on Russian crude exports at $44 before a deadline that could have seen it leap up.
