The EU’s top diplomat has called for maintaining sanctions on Russia amid ongoing attacks in Ukraine, which killed at least five people. Talks on extending sanctions are ongoing as some member states seek to remove individuals from the blacklist.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, has stressed the importance of maintaining sanctions as a core part of the bloc’s response to Russia’s war, urging member states to keep them in place for an extended period. Officials are working to finalize an extension of sanctions on nearly 3,000 individuals and entities linked to the conflict ahead of a looming deadline. Kallas emphasized the need for stability and reiterated the EU’s unchanged position, stating that a new package of sanctions is also being prepared. However, some EU member states have sought to remove certain individuals from the bloc’s blacklist, leading to delays in finalizing agreements, including a failed attempt to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their attacks across multiple Ukrainian regions on Monday, killing at least five people and injuring others. In Kharkiv region, a drone strike killed one person and injured three in Lozova, while in Dnipropetrovsk region, a drone killed a car driver in Nikopol. In Donetsk region, a Russian strike damaged an apartment building in Kramatorsk, killing one person, and another was killed in a nearby village. In Mykolaiv region, a sustained attack on a village killed a three-year-old child. The UN has warned that worsening winter conditions could increase civilian hardship, citing last year’s energy infrastructure attacks that caused prolonged power outages and heating shortages.
Why it matters
Sanctions remain central to EU strategy as negotiations intensify ahead of the deadline.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.
What to watch
Watch whether EU members finalize sanctions extension before late Tuesday’s deadline.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.