On Friday, EU countries are set to approve a significantly watered-down proposal from the European Commission to increase pressure on Russia amid disputes over a ban on entry for military personnel and sanctions against liquefied natural gas (LNG). This is reported by Euractiv, writes UNN.
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Ambassadors of the countries are trying to reach an agreement to submit the document to foreign ministers on Monday. At the same time, they have effectively stripped the proposed package — already the 21st since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine — of its harshest elements.
"The goal is to bring the package to a logical conclusion," one senior EU diplomat noted, adding that negotiations are ongoing and the package may still not be approved.
France, Italy, and Greece insisted on significantly weakening the ban on entry of Russian military personnel into the bloc, initiated by the Baltic countries. The plan by Estonia and Lithuania, later officially proposed by Berlaymont (the European Commission building), envisaged closing entry to the EU for former military personnel.
However, under pressure from countries whose economies benefit from Russian tourists, the proposal currently on the table has moved away from the concept of a broad and automatic visa ban for any military personnel who participated in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Some capitals called for a more targeted or narrower definition due to doubts about technical implementation and to provide greater discretion to national visa authorities. A diplomatic source reported that the scope of the ban was narrowed to short-term visas only, and the criteria were softened: instead of general participation in the war, it now refers to active participation in combat operations or direct contribution to military operations.
According to a diplomatic report obtained by the publication, in 2025 the number of visas issued to Russian citizens increased by 10.2% compared to 2024. The leaders in issuance volumes were France, Italy, and Spain.
Ambassadors are also preparing another fragile compromise when it comes to sanctions against Russia's lucrative energy sector. According to officials, the package will likely include a proposal to "freeze" the current EU price cap on Russian crude oil. This price ceiling prohibits companies from providing services (e.g., insurance) for Russian tankers selling oil above $44 per barrel.
The established price cap, calculated based on oil prices over the last six months, is set to jump to over $60 per barrel on July 15 — which is above the cost of Urals, Russia's main export blend. However, it remains unclear whether EU ambassadors will agree to a six-month freeze of the price cap, as originally proposed by the European Commission. Countries dependent on maritime transport (including Greece) are insisting on a shorter term — three months.
Moreover, in exchange for supporting the proposed freeze, Greece demanded a concession that would allow it to continue transporting Russian liquefied natural gas to non-EU countries. This step effectively nullifies last month's European Commission statement that the ban on purchasing Russian LNG, set to take effect in January, would also apply to the resale of this fuel to third countries outside the bloc. However, there is consensus that the sale of LNG tankers to Russia will be banned, as proposed by the Commission.
At the same time, member states softened the proposed restrictions on the export of Russian fish. Germany is likely to receive certain concessions to continue buying haddock, while Poland and Portugal are expected to obtain exemptions from planned bans on pollock and cod, respectively. Bulgaria's resistance to sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, head of the Moscow Orthodox Church, also means he will be removed from the sanctions list.