France expects the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions to be agreed by the EU in the coming days. This was stated on the air of the LCI television channel by the country's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“The negotiations are nearing their end, it will happen in the coming days“, the head of the department replied to the question of when the new package of sanctions will be agreed by the EU countries.
According to him, “Europe is coordinating efforts on this issue with US senators“.
Earlier, the head of the European Council António Costa said at a press conference after the summit that the leaders of the EU countries had failed to approve the 18th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. In turn, the President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said that work on the 18th set of restrictions is “in full swing,” but did not give a possible deadline for its completion.
According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Slovakia has blocked the approval of the next package of sanctions at the summit; the issue will now be discussed again by EU ambassadors.
On June 18, the Semafor portal reported that the US Senate would not consider a bill on new sanctions against Russia until at least July.
French President Emmanuel Macron discussed with Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO summit in The Hague the possibility of Renault producing drones in Ukraine, Barrot also said.
“French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a few days ago the joint production of drones with Renault in Ukraine,“ he recalled Barrot. “The President of the Republic spoke about this with Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO summit, which took place at the beginning of the week.“
According to the minister, it is important that France “continue to help Ukraine in the development of equipment production“.
Earlier, Lecornu said that a major French automaker would start producing drones in Ukraine, without disclosing the name of the company. Later, France Info radio reported that it was Renault, but a company representative said that the decision had not yet been made.