European Union heads of state and government have agreed to extend existing sanctions against Russia for another six months, but failed to reach a consensus on imposing any new punitive measures, reports DW.
The EU summit in Brussels concluded with leaders approving the six-month extension of the current sanctions package against Russia, according to negotiating circles late Thursday evening (June 26, 2025).
Following both the EU summit and the preceding NATO meeting, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz offered a mixed assessment regarding support for Ukraine. “I didn’t expect more, I feared less,” he stated in Brussels, referring to the NATO summit. “There could have been a bigger disagreement, including between Trump and Zelensky, but that didn’t happen.”
Persistent Disagreements Among Member States
EU member states are required to unanimously approve their sanctions every six months. In response to Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine, the EU has so far adopted 17 sanction packages against Moscow. Conservative right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly threatened to boycott these decisions.
Disagreements also emerged during Thursday’s summit. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico initially expressed reservations about a new package of sanctions against Russia. Slovakia, which continues to receive gas from Russia, stated it could not continue to approve sanctions as long as its concerns about gas supplies after 2027 were not addressed. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán once again voiced his opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership.
The summit also discussed the state of European and global trade, facing the threat of U.S. tariffs. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU has received a new U.S. proposal for a trade agreement. However, a decision has not yet been made. “All options are still on the table,” she said.
