All articles tagged with #eu russia relations
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever quipped at an EU summit that António Costa should represent Europe in talks with Vladimir Putin, highlighting divisions over direct EU outreach to Moscow; Macron and Merz opposed Costa’s outreach, while other leaders supported it, underscoring ongoing questions about who should speak for the bloc in any future negotiations with Russia.
A coalition of 11 states—nine EU members plus Iceland and Norway—led by Sweden, urged the EU to tighten Russian visa rules ahead of the summer season, arguing uneven implementation of EU guidelines weakens leverage against Moscow and could threaten Schengen security. The letter calls for binding visa restrictions, better monitoring, regular aggregated statistics, and a mechanism to identify former Russian combatants, citing rising visa numbers in France, Italy and Spain. Opponents say visa totals reflect processing differences among larger member states, and no formal decision was reached at a Luxembourg meeting, with ministers only discussing restarting the debate.
EU ministers have agreed to ban Russian gas imports by 2028 as part of efforts to reduce dependency on Russian energy and pressure Moscow amid ongoing conflicts, with a phased approach starting in 2026, despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.