The French Foreign Ministry has announced the deadlines for agreeing on the 11th package of EU sanctions against Russia

It is expected that the 11-package of sanctions against Russia can be agreed before the end of June, when the EU summit will take place. This was announced by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

“We expect to finalize it as soon as possible, before the end of June, before the EU summit,” she said upon her arrival at the Council of Foreign Ministers in Brussels (quote according to RIA Novosti).

The column noted that now new restrictions are still being discussed by the EU member states, in particular, technical and legal issues are being worked out. The 11th package of sanctions will be considered by the permanent representatives of the EU countries on May 24, the minister specified.

In addition, the restrictions will be discussed by the Foreign Ministers of the EU countries today, May 22, in Brussels. The day before, on May 21, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto noted that the republic is ready for pressure from other EU members at the upcoming meeting. Earlier today EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell declaredthat not only Hungary doubts the need to introduce new sanctions against Russia.

Until then Szijjarto saidthat Budapest will block EU military assistance to Ukraine until sanctions are lifted on OTR Bank. The minister added that Ukraine “behaves more and more hostile towards Hungary”, so the Cabinet of Ministers will not support the 11th package of sanctions.

19 May European Council President Charles Michel informedthat, as part of the strengthening of sanctions pressure on Russia, the EU is discussing, among other things, limiting the trade in Russian diamonds. At the same time, the measure is opposed by Belgium, which fears that Antwerp’s diamond business will suffer huge losses if Russian exports of precious stones go to the Middle East and India.

Since the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the EU has already adopted 10 packages of sanctions, the last of them on February 24. At the end of March, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced new restrictions against the Russian Federation. She stated that the 11th package of sanctions will be aimed at combating circumvention of restrictions. May 15 head of the EC reportedthat the 11th package of sanctions may include a ban on the transit of a number of goods through the territory of Russia, as well as their export to certain third countries.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized the imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation. In particular, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the restrictions illegitimate and saidthat they “cause serious damage to the international legal system”. In the Kremlin declaredthat Western citizens have to pay for sanctions against Russia.