Germany anticipates swift approval of 18th EU sanctions package against Russia

The German government announced that Slovakia’s concerns over the European Union's 18th package of sanctions against Russia have been resolved which now allows for the implementation of the restrictive measures.

This statement has been delivered by the German government spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, during a press briefing as has been reported on by Russian media outlets and cited by Caliber.Az.

“The European Council has extended the existing sanctions a week ago. The 18th sanctions package has also, in principle, been adopted. There were reservations from Slovakia, which, according to my information, were resolved during negotiations in recent days,” he stated, adding that Berlin was now awaiting Slovakia to "quickly approve the 18th sanctions package.”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico had been blocking the adoption of the latest round of sanctions during an EU summit until as late as last week. His government had been demanding a promise of compensation before giving its approval, in case an EU Commission plan for a ban on Russian gas imports leads to economic damage in Slovakia. Although restrictions on gas imports are not part of the current sanctions package, they are so critical for Slovakia that it was using the 18th sanctions package as leverage on this matter.

The Head of the European Commission (EC), Ursula Von der Leyen, revealed in the beginning of June that the following sanctions package against Russia would be aimed at Moscow's energy revenues, its banks and its military industry.

According to reports by Reuters, the EC proposed adding 22 more Russian banks to its list and broadening restrictions on them beyond a removal from the SWIFT financial messaging system, to a full transaction ban, as well as expanding the scope to banks from third countries, and lists the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) as well as its subsidiaries and wider network.

By Nazrin Sadigova