EU foreign ministers backed continued pressure on Russia through new sanctions at an informal meeting in Limassol on Wednesday and Thursday, though divisions emerged over the bloc’s potential role in future peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
The Gymnich meeting, held under Cyprus’s EU Presidency, was chaired by Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also attended.
Diplomatic sources said several member states argued it is not yet the right moment for negotiations with Russia, believing Moscow is not negotiating from a position of strength and that sustained sanctions pressure remains necessary. Sources also noted reservations were expressed about premature discussion of a potential EU mediator role without first establishing a clear common European position on the terms, framework, and objectives of any future process.
The Cyprus Presidency signalled readiness to open discussions on a 21st sanctions package against Russia, a process that would need to begin at the relevant EU committee level. The 20th package was approved during Cyprus’s presidency.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Kombos, Kallas said the meeting had produced strong unity. “There was strong unity today on defending European interests, supporting Ukraine, and exerting more pressure on Russia,” she said.
Kallas ruled out any EU mediating role. “Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, because we are on the side of Ukraine and we act on the basis of our own core security interests,” she said. She added that Russia must halt its sabotage operations, cyberattacks, and airspace violations across Europe, which she said directly threaten European security.
Kallas said Russia continues to show no genuine interest in peace, and that ministers had substantive discussions about what concessions Europe should demand from Moscow and where the EU’s red lines lie. She added that all EU efforts must be complementary to those of the United States.
On the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Kallas described conditions as dangerous, saying any agreement between the United States and Iran would need to be followed by deeper and more detailed talks on broader regional security issues. She said the EU could contribute technical expertise on nuclear talks and was already helping protect freedom of navigation through Operation Aspides. Once hostilities end, she said the EU is prepared to escort vessels out of the strait.
Kombos said ministers had a frank discussion on the principles that should guide the EU’s position on Ukraine, based on the document Kallas had prepared and circulated. “We continue with the intention and the will to increase pressure on Russia,” he said. He added that the EU has not positioned itself as a mediator but has taken a clear position because the crisis affects its security interests. He also noted that even after the war ends, markets are unlikely to return quickly to pre-war conditions.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of sanctions against Israel, with diplomatic sources indicating two approaches were considered: an embargo on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and sanctions targeting specific Israeli political figures. Sources said the second measure is seen as more readily applicable, while the first presents significant legal and technical difficulties.
Ministers also discussed Lebanon, where Kallas said a return to full-scale war remains a real possibility, as well as Gaza and the West Bank. Concerns were raised about the impact of the Middle East crisis on global food and fertiliser supply chains and the risk of new migration pressures from broader regional destabilisation.
Kallas also addressed Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union, saying the aim is to develop a handbook for how the clause can be applied across different scenarios, including an attack on a NATO member that is also an EU member, or an attack on an EU member that is not in NATO.
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