The next round of sanctions against Russia will be quite severe, according to the Estonian Foreign Ministry

The European Union is working on a new, 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which could be particularly severe, especially in the energy sector. 

This was stated by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, according to ERR.

According to him, the EU continues to ramp up pressure on Russia over the war against Ukraine, and the new restrictions could significantly impact energy exports.

At the same time, Tsahkna emphasized that the enlargement process remains one of the most difficult issues for the European Union. He noted that Hungary has been blocking the opening of negotiation chapters with both Ukraine and Moldova for over two years.

The minister noted that it is now important to use the initial stage of the negotiation process to achieve the maximum possible progress before the next EU summit in June.

“In my opinion, we should use this very initial stage, when Magyar takes office and comes to the first negotiations, to secure the ‘maximum package’ before the June summit, when the prime ministers will meet again,” he explained.

The Estonian foreign minister also emphasized that Ukraine’s EU membership is of strategic importance for the security of the European Union itself.

“For Europe, Ukraine is not just a project of emotional support, but also a guarantor of peace for us,” Tsahkna stated.

He added that the EU enlargement process also directly concerns Moldova, which, according to him, has found itself in a deadlock due to the stalling of negotiations regarding Ukraine.

On April 23, EU member states approved the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which imposes restrictions on 46 vessels of the “shadow fleet” and 60 entities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex. The new measures include stricter export restrictions on dual-use goods and sanctions against 20 credit and financial institutions.

The European Union unanimously approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and imposed the 20th package of sanctions against Russia due to its armed aggression. Disbursement of the loan will begin shortly to meet the Ukrainian state’s most urgent budgetary needs. 

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced the start of work on the next package of EU sanctions against Russia immediately after the approval of the 20th sanctions list. The Estonian side insists on completely cutting off the sources of funding for the aggression by imposing a ban on maritime oil transport services.