Monday, March 21, already, at the end of the meeting of EU foreign ministers, Josep Borell wanted to calm the ardor. “I don’t think there will be an official decision on a new set of sanctions,” said the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, referring to the European Council which begins on Thursday 24 March.
On this occasion, before a fifth set of sanctions is possibly prepared by the Commission, it will rather be a question, for the leaders of the 27 Member States, of confronting each other on the general line to follow vis-à-vis Russia. A discussion that promises to be eventful given the differences of opinion that have already emerged during the meeting of foreign ministers on March 21. Politico summarizes the essence of the debate in these terms:
“After approving an unprecedented series of sanctions against Moscow in just a few weeks, EU officials are now grappling with two interrelated questions: Which sectors should they target now? And what should trigger these possible additional penalties? ”