EU finalizes 17th sanctions package against Russia; ‘Let’s put pressure on Putin’

Brussels–The ambassadors of the 27 member states finalized the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, which are now to be adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council early next week. However, the restrictive measures — which Brussels sees as a response to Vladimir Putin‘s rejection of the ceasefire proposed by Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s Western allies– do not seem particularly harsh, at least according to member states advocating a stronger​ approach toward Moscow.

The confirmation came this morning (May 14) from diplomatic sources: the Coreper (the preparatory body that brings together the member states’ permanent representatives) gave the green light to the 17th package of sanctions against the Kremlin. The EU executive presented the measures on May 7, only to be slightly modified in recent days by the Polish Council presidency. Foreign Ministers of the 27 member states should give their formal approval on Monday (May 20).

The measures were packaged exactly a month after being put on the table by the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas. The High Representative has long advocated the need to tighten further the 12-star sanctions regime against the Federation (the latest package, the 16th, dates back to late February) to maintain high pressure on the Kremlin. “Sanctions drain Russia’s war chest,” she wrote on X, greeting today’s approval at Coreper.

However, in terms of content, it is little more than a blunt bullet. It extends existing measures, expanding them to more individuals and legal entities. This explains the all-too-smooth approval of the package, which did not have to contend with the now customary Hungarian opposition.

The target of the sanctions approved today is once again the Kremlin’s so-called “ghost fleet.” They strike almost 200 new ships with which the Federation circumvents the oil embargo imposed by the West while continuing to export crude oil around the world, bringing the blacklist of ghost vessels to over 350.

Furthermore, it strikes 75 individuals and companies involved in various capacities in the Russian military-industrial complex and some thirty companies that, according to the EU, continue to supply Moscow with dual-use goods and technologies (civilian and military). Finally, the package banned the export of certain chemicals used to produce missiles to the Federation.

However, the harsher measures that the EU “hawks” — the Baltics and Scandinavians in the lead — were left out from the net of restrictions. These countries are looking beyond and already speculating on an 18th sanctions package – for which sherpa-level work should begin soon – and, perhaps, even a 19th, which could finally include Rosatom, the state-owned atomic energy giant, and the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The 27 member states consider the round of sanctions approved today a way to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to agree to sit down at the table to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. As expected, the czar blatantly ignored the ultimatum presented by Kyiv’s Western allies (an unconditional suspension of hostilities for 30 days, which was supposed to begin the day before yesterday) in an unprecedented show of unity from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Supported by both the Coalition of the Willing and the United States, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky made an appointment with his Russian counterpart in Istanbul to meet in person tomorrow (May 15) and discuss a truce to the conflict that has been raging for over three years.

The new sanctions thus come on the eve of what, at least in the hopes of European chancelleries, could be the first round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022, under the auspices of the same mediator at back then — Turkish President Rep Tayyip Erdoğan — and, perhaps, of Donald Trump as well, who is now touring the Persian Gulf states extensively.