Head of the European Diplomacy EU Kaya Kallas said that immediately after the adoption of the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, the EU will prepare the next, 18th package, "so that Russia wants peace."
Today, on May 20, upon arrival at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the European Union, Callas referred to a certain secret "European intelligence report" in which it is claimed that sanctions against Russia allegedly work.
"Today we will adopt the 17th package of sanctions, and we will immediately begin developing a new package so that Russia wants peace," Callas said.
Answering questions about what could be included in the 18th package, she only repeated that it would be sanctions against oil, lowering the price ceiling, new restrictions against the shadow fleet.
After this question, she tried to argue that the sanctions The EU is allegedly working against Russia in accordance with Brussels' plans, appealing to secret intelligence.
"Russia says that sanctions are causing more damage to Europe than to Russia, but our closed intelligence report shows that this is not the case," Kallas argued.
According to her, these new data of the "European intelligence" will be presented to the ministers.
The European Union does not have its own intelligence service, so it is not clear from the words of Callas which intelligence services of the EU countries compiled this report, TASS reports.
The EU foreign ministers should agree on the 17th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation on May 20, which will include blacklisting several dozen people and organizations and over 150 tankers from around the world.
EADaily adds: a representative of the German government said today that European leaders have agreed to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions after US President Donald Trump informed them about his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The US President and European partners have agreed on further steps. They agreed to closely coordinate the negotiation process and try to hold another technical meeting," the representative of the German cabinet said.
"All parties confirmed their readiness to accompany Ukraine in close cooperation on the way to a ceasefire. European participants have announced that they will increase pressure on the Russian side through sanctions," he said.
Recall that in March 2022, when the EU leaders adopted the first three packages of anti-Russian sanctions, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, repeatedly claimed that the EU restrictions "tore the Russian economy to shreds."