French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the European Union is preparing a fresh round of sanctions against Russia “in the coming days” to pressure Moscow into agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
In a televised interview on Tuesday evening, Macron revealed that the upcoming sanctions, coordinated with the United States, would target Russia’s financial services and secondary oil trade.
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The move comes after Macron and other European leaders visited Kyiv to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and call for immediate peace talks.
France is leading the charge on the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia, following consultations between EU foreign ministers and the European Commission.
European Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that if Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to resist serious negotiations, the new sanctions would further penalize Russia’s energy and financial sectors. He warned of “powerful and massive” measures if Moscow ignores diplomatic efforts.
EU leaders are pushing for a 30-day ceasefire as a condition for initiating talks, hoping to convene a peace summit in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and potentially U.S. President Donald Trump.
Despite ongoing internal debate, Macron restated his opposition to confiscating €200 billion in frozen Russian assets, citing legal constraints. Nevertheless, EU ministers support maintaining the freeze until Russia ends its aggression and commits to paying reparations.
The sanctions package is expected to be finalized at the upcoming EU foreign ministers meeting on May 20 in Brussels.
During the interview, Macron also hinted at the need for future discussions on Europe’s nuclear deterrence strategy, amid growing uncertainty over NATO commitments under President Trump.
