Tirana: EU Considers New Sanctions Against Russia
The European Union is currently developing a new sanctions package aimed at increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as stated by Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU Commission, during a meeting of European leaders in Tirana on Friday.
Despite having already implemented 17 sanctions packages—most recently this week—diplomats indicate that achieving consensus among the 27 member states has become increasingly challenging.
“He doesn’t want peace, so we have to raise the pressure. This is why we are working on a new package of sanctions,” von der Leyen mentioned, referring to Putin before the summit of the European political community in Albania.
This upcoming package is expected to target, among other things, the Node Stream 1 and Node Stream 2 pipelines, which are intended to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. These pipelines were damaged by a series of explosions in 2022.
Officials have highlighted the necessity of US support for the success of these “massive” sanctions that European leaders have been discussing in recent days.
On another front, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were meeting in Istanbul on Friday. This marked the first direct peace talks in over three years, prompted by President Donald Trump’s call to resolve Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Putin proposed a direct meeting with Ukraine’s representatives on Sunday, yet this was met with a challenge from Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky, who sent a team of mid-level officials instead.
NATO Executive Director Mark Latte noted, “Putin made a mistake by sending a low-level delegation.”
“What we observed yesterday and overnight confirms that Putin is not serious about peace,” stated British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer upon his arrival at the Tirana Summit.
“He continues to drag his feet, so it’s vital that we remain united with our allies. I want to emphasize that a ceasefire is essential today. However, if a ceasefire does not materialize, we will take collective action.”
