(18 Jul 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris – 18 July 2025
1. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul walking onto stage for news conference
2. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Noël Barrot, French Foreign Minister:
"I welcome the adoption this morning of a massive new sanction package, the most comprehensive since 2022, that the European Union has formally put in place to increase pressure on Russia."
3. News conference
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Noël Barrot, French Foreign Minister:
"It is great news to hear that President Trump has decided to make air defence systems available to NATO countries for Ukraine. It’s also great news to hear that President Trump has given Vladimir 50 days, now 45, to enforce a cease fire or face new tariffs of up to 100% against Russia and other countries that continue to trade, especially petrol, with Russia. In line with this and in full cooperation with the United States, we have conceived this massive sanction package that was adopted this morning and that both Germany and France supported and funded hand in hand."
5. Barrot and Wadephul leaving
STORYLINE:
France welcomed the European Union and Britain’s decision to target Moscow’s energy sector, shadow fleet of aging oil tankers and military intelligence service with new sanctions.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said it was "great news" and that the fresh package would "increase pressure on Russia".
At a joint news conference with his German counterpart in Paris on Friday, Barrot also praised President Trump for imposing a new deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, had proposed to lower the oil price cap from $60 to $45, which is lower than the market price, to target Russia’s vast energy revenues.
The 27 member countries decided to set the price per barrel at just under $48.
The EU had hoped to get major international powers in the Group of Seven countries involved in the price cap to broaden the impact, but the Trump administration could not be brought onboard.
Oil income is the linchpin of Russia’s economy, allowing President Vladimir Putin to pour money into the armed forces without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse
A new import ban was also imposed in an attempt to close a loophole allowing Russia to indirectly export crude oil via a number of non-EU countries.
The EU also targeted the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany to prevent Putin from generating any revenue from them in future, notably by discouraging would-be investors.
Russian energy giant Rosneft’s refinery in India was hit as well.
The pipelines were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany but are not in operation.
On top of that, the new EU sanctions targeted Russia’s banking sector, with the aim of limiting the Kremlin’s ability to raise funds or carry out financial transactions. Two Chinese banks were added to the list.
The EU has slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine in February 24, 2022.
More than 2,400 officials and “entities” — often government agencies, banks, companies or organizations — have been hit with asset freezes and travel bans.
But each round of sanctions is getting harder to agree, as measures targeting Russia bite the economies of the 27 member nations. Slovakia held up the latest package over concerns about proposals to stop Russian gas supplies, which it relies on.
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