BRUSSELS, December 12. /TASS/. EU members failed to agree on the ninth package of sanctions against Russia in time during a meeting in Brussels among top diplomats. Disagreements do remain, therefore, the ministerial deliberations on the sanctions will be very difficult, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel said on Monday upon his arrival at the EU Council Meeting at the level of foreign ministers.
"This Council is going to be very long and difficult because we have on the agenda Iran, we have on the agenda sanctions against Russia, the ninth package, we are still not there, we haven’t yet finished," he specified.
"When me and the President of the Commission [Ursula von der Leyen] announce the sanctions, we are just announcing proposals. We’ve said many times [that] it is the Council who decides, and the 27 ministers have different approaches," Borrell continued.
As for the timeframe of the decision, the top EU diplomat said that "maybe by the end of the day, but there are some questions to be still agreed [upon]". "Maybe tomorrow, but I cannot say it will be easy," he concluded.
According to the idea of the European Commission, the ninth sanctions package should include up to 200 individuals, companies and organizations, including three banks, military-industrial complexes, in addition to energy and mining companies. The EU also intends to prohibit the broadcasting of four Russian TV channels on its territory. The European Commission will not disclose the names of the companies until the sanctions in question are approved.