EU to Prepare 19th Sanctions Package Against Russia, Kallas Says

The European Union will prepare its 19th package of sanctions against Russia while stepping up military and financial assistance to Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

The Gaze reports this, referring to France 24.

Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Kallas confirmed that the bloc would back U.S. initiatives aimed at securing a “just peace” in Ukraine but stressed that the sequencing of steps was critical.

“As far as Russia has not agreed to a full and unconditional ceasefire, we should not even discuss any concessions,” she said. 

Kallas underscored that any peace process must begin with such a ceasefire, backed by “a strong monitoring system and ironclad security guarantees.”

She added that work on the 19th sanctions package would soon begin and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to sustaining Ukraine with both military aid and budgetary support, as well as advancing Kyiv’s EU accession process.

“Transatlantic unity, support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia is how we will end this war and prevent future Russian aggression in Europe,” Kallas wrote on social media platform X.

The announcement comes less than a month after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the 18th sanctions package, which tightened restrictions on Russian revenue streams and strengthened enforcement mechanisms.

As The Gaze reported earlier, a newly reduced price cap on Russian oil, adopted as part of the EU’s 18th sanctions package against the Russian Federation, will come into force on September 3.