EU Ministers Leave Russia Sanctions Unresolved but Advance Settlement-Goods Ban and Gaza Aid

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on 13 July 2026 did not reach agreement on the 21st sanctions package against Russia. Euronews reported that the ministers left several elements unresolved, including a proposed ban on Russian LNG transit through EU waters. Ambassadors are scheduled to reconvene at 16:00 on 14 July 2026.

The 15 July deadline means the price cap on Russian oil will increase from €44 to €58 per barrel if no deal is reached. Member states remain divided over the LNG transit ban. Greece is seeking an exemption for its maritime sector.

Between January and June 2026 the EU spent almost €6 billion on LNG from Russia’s Yamal facility. The EU removed Patriarch Kirill and Vagit Alekperov from the draft sanctions list after Bulgaria’s veto could not be overcome. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Petrova-Chamova said the package was now in a form her country could support.

Petrova-Chamova will travel to Kyiv on 15 July 2026 as part of an Eastern Balkan delegation. She stated that cooperation with Ukraine would need to increase ahead of winter. On the same day ministers gave the strongest backing to a full import ban on goods from Israeli settlements.

Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden supported the measure. A large group of states also favoured framing the restrictions as a trade tool rather than a foreign-policy instrument. The European Commission launched the Team Gaza Initiative on 13 July and pledged around €900 million for recovery projects.

The first two projects will address water and solid-waste management. The EU and UN estimate that rebuilding Gaza over the next decade will exceed $71 billion. Jared Kushner joined the Palestine Donor Group meeting by video link.