For the first time in history, imports of European goods into Russia have exceeded Russian exports to the European Union, with Russia’s trade balance posting a deficit of 0.5 bln euro over the first nine months of 2025, according to Eurostat.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the European Union to initiate a constructive dialogue with Russia, stating that establishing contact with President Vladimir Putin is necessary and urgent.
The issue of seizing Russian financial assets frozen in the West will not be on the agenda of the EU summit in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said upon his arrival in the Belgian capital, where EU leaders are meeting on December 18-19.
EU foreign ministers will discuss new sanctions against Russia, including blacklisting 40 tankers allegedly carrying Russian oil, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said.
Russia's Central Bank has filed a lawsuit seeking 18.2 trillion roubles ($229.36 billion) in damages from Belgian central securities depository Euroclear, a Moscow court said on Monday.
Seizing Russian assets frozen in the West would lead to unpredictable consequences for the European Union, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned.
A European Commission spokesperson has stated that the EU intends to use frozen Russian assets to address economic challenges stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.
The EU representatives for the first time since the start of the special military operation agreed upon a block of sanctions outside the main sanction packages, a source in the diplomatic community in Brussels said.
The U.S. administration has opposed the European Union’s initiative to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine via a reparations loan, Politico reported, citing senior European diplomats.
Vladimir Putin stated that if Europe expresses a desire to cooperate economically with Russia, Moscow would not object to resuming work with them.
The European Commission has sped up the development of a legal framework to seize frozen Russian assets within the EU, according to media reports citing sources.
Russia ranked third in the total value of gas imports of the European Union as of the end of January - September 2025 with the share of 16.1%, according to Eurostat.
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a ban on Russian natural gas supplies to the European Union, including via the TurkStream gas pipeline.
The European Union has stopped issuing multiple-entry Schengen tourist visas to Russian citizens in most cases, Politico reported, citing European officials.
On November 5, ambassadors from all EU member states will convene to discuss the European Commission's proposal regarding the expropriation of frozen Russian assets. A common strategy on this issue has previously been unsuccessful.
The European Union has become the largest buyer of Russian liquefied natural gas, even as the 19th sanctions package includes a phased ban on LNG imports from Russia, the Guardian reported, citing data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
The European Union has included a complete ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas under short-term contracts from April 25, 2026, and under long-term contracts from January 1, 2027, in its 19th sanctions package, according to a decree by the Council of the EU published in the Official Journal of the EU.
The EU ambassadors have agreed on the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, Reuters news agency reported quoting the Danish presidency of the EU Council.
Hungary does not plan to interfere with the adoption of the 19th package of EU sanctions against Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has announced the 20th anti-Russian sanctions package despite the 19th package still pending formal adoption.
