Zelenskyy, VdL Discuss New Russia Sanctions At EU-Ukraine Summit

At a joint presser in Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the potential for a new round of sanctions against Russia as part of the EU-Ukraine summit taking place in the Ukrainian capital.

• Zelenskyy stated that the implementation of sanctions had 'slightly slowed down' and should be accelerated.
• There is little clarity on whether a tenth round of sanctions will be possible in the short term, given that EU unity on the issue is somewhat lacking as the member states continue to deal with the economic fallout of the war.
• The one-year anniversary of the launching of the Russian invasion in late Feb could prove an important symbolic moment for the implementation of further sanctions. Reuters reported in Jan that the EU could seek "new sanctions to curb the bloc's nuclear fuel cooperation with Moscow, ban imports of Russian diamonds and reduce trade with Kremlin's ally Belarus, among other measures."