BRUSSELS, May 20. /TASS/. The EU will immediately start preparing the 18th package of sanctions against Russia after adopting the 17th package, "so that Russia chooses peace," High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas said upon arrival at a meeting of EU Foreign and Defense Ministers.
"We will agree on the 17th package of sanctions today and we will continue working on the next robust package of sanctions to put more pressure on Russia so that they would also want peace," she said. When asked what might be included in the 18th package, she only said that it would be sanctions against Russian oil, reducing the price cap, and new restrictions against the shadow fleet.
After this question, she tried to argue that the EU sanctions against Russia allegedly work in accordance with Brussels' plans, appealing to secret intelligence data.
"Russians want us to think that sanctions are not working, that they are hurting you more than they are hurting us - this is not true. We see it from the intelligence reports," Kallas claimed.
According to her, this new "European intelligence" data will be presented to ministers.
The European Union does not have its own intelligence service, so it is not clear from Kallas' words which EU intelligence service compiled this report.
In 2022, when EU leaders adopted the first three sanctions packages, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen repeatedly claimed that thanks to the EU restrictions, "Russia's industry is in tatters and its economy on life-support."
EU foreign ministers are expected to agree today on the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, which will include blacklisting several dozen people and organizations and over 150 tankers from around the world.