BRUSSELS, June 30. /TASS/. Leaders of the 27 EU member states have discussed measures to step up pressure on Russia, the European Council said in a joint statement released early on Friday after the first day of the EU summit.

"The European Council discussed efforts to further increase pressure on Russia in order to weaken its ability to wage its war of aggression, including through sanctions, their full and effective implementation and the prevention of their circumvention," the document says.

In this context, EU leaders welcome the adoption of the 11th package of anti-Russian sanctions.

"The European Council calls on the co-legislators to swiftly finalise work on the proposed Directive approximating criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures," the document says.

The first ten packages of sanctions imposed by the EU included direct restrictions in terms of trade, transport links and financial ties with Moscow. However, the 11th package for the first time introduced the principle of extraterritoriality of sanctions as Brussels officially intends to blacklist the companies from third countries suspected of re-exporting banned goods to Russia or being engaged in activities such as oil transportation without taking the so-called Russian oil price cap into account.