The European Union is preparing to widen its sanctions network against Russia, aiming to cripple the Kremlin's war effort in Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Monday that the bloc is proposing new restrictions on 80 additional entities and individuals supporting Russia's military industrial complex, human rights violators, and propagandists.

Kallas claimed that Western sanctions have already cost Russia an estimated $1.2 to $1.5 trillion. "Putin is losing money, men, and momentum," she said, adding that Russia is escalating attacks on Ukrainian civilians as a result. "Brick by brick, we are collapsing the foundations of Russia's war economy," she asserted.

The ministers also discussed a contested €6.6 billion fund to reimburse countries for arms supplies to Ukraine. Hungary, under new Prime Minister Peter Magyar who replaced Viktor Orban in April, has reportedly agreed to drop its long-standing opposition to the fund. Kallas proposed using the funds not only for past deliveries but also for joint weapons procurements and military assistance.

The EU's moves come as the US regime has faced criticism for extending a sanctions waiver for countries buying Russian oil, allegedly to stabilize energy markets disrupted by the US-Israel war on Iran. Meanwhile, Russia continues its deadly attacks: a strike in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region killed five and injured 14 on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned from a meeting with European leaders in London, but Kallas said the time is not yet right for negotiations with Russia. "We feel it is not there yet," she stated, emphasizing the need for "strategic patience" to push Russia into genuine talks.

Source: www.aljazeera.com