EU ambassadors postpone decision on extending Russia sanctions, citing Slovak opposition
EU ambassadors in Brussels failed on 2 September to agree on extending individual sanctions against more than 3,000 Russians and Russian companies, postponing consideration to 9 September. Slovakia's resistance to a one-year extension, preferring the traditional six-month cycle, was the obstacle. The current sanctions expire on 15 September.
Key points
- On 2 September, the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) failed to agree on extending individual sanctions against more than 3,000 Russians and Russian companies.
- The issue was postponed to 9 September.
- The current individual restrictive measures expire on 15 September.
- They cover more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities responsible for violating Ukraine's territorial integrity.
- Slovakia was the obstacle to extending the sanctions, according to reports.
- Slovakia supports the traditional six-month extension rather than the one-year extension proposed by the Irish Presidency.
- Slovakia proposed removing several names of Russians from the sanctions list, which have not yet been made public.
Why it matters
The measures target more than 3,000 Russian individuals and entities linked to violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity, and failure to extend them by 15 September would cause them to lapse. Slovakia's resistance to a one-year extension breaks with the longer renewal cycle that EU leaders agreed to in June, a shift made possible after Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat in Hungary.
What happened
EU ambassadors met in Brussels on Wednesday, 2 September, but were unable to reach agreement on extending individual sanctions against more than 3,000 Russian individuals and companies. The Irish Presidency had proposed a one-year extension; Slovakia indicated it was not prepared to back that timeline and instead supported the traditional six-month extension. Slovakia also proposed removing several names from the sanctions list, which have not yet been made public. With no consensus reached, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) postponed consideration of the issue to 9 September. The current measures are set to expire on 15 September.
Background
In June, EU leaders agreed for the first time since the start of Russia's aggression to extend EU economic sanctions against Russia for 12 months instead of the usual 6 months, a change made possible after Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat in Hungary. On 25 June, the EU Council extended the restrictive economic measures over Russia's actions in Ukraine for another 12 months, until 31 July 2027. During Orbán's premiership, Hungary regularly blocked EU sanctions and other decisions, and Slovakia often joined in the blocking.