Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, noted that at the meeting on February 23, EU countries are unlikely to reach a consensus on the proposed sanctions package against Russia.
“Certainly, we will discuss the 20th sanctions package, but I do not expect significant progress on this issue today. Nevertheless, we will continue our efforts,” she told reporters ahead of the EU Council meeting at the level of foreign ministers.
The main reason for this situation, as reported by Reuters, is resistance from Hungary.
The European Commission presented the 20th sanctions package against Russia on February 6, which covers financial services, energy, and trade. Its implementation requires the approval of all 27 EU member states.
According to Bloomberg, in January 2026, the European Union is developing a new set of sanctions against Kyrgyzstan related to assistance from Russia in circumventing restrictions.
As part of the new measures against Moscow, the EU is considering for the first time the use of a sanctions circumvention tool that could prohibit the export of certain radio equipment and machinery to Kyrgyzstan.
Daniyar Amangeldiev, First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, commented on the potential introduction of new sanctions at the Munich Security Conference.
He emphasized that the Kyrgyz government regularly interacts with David O’Sullivan, the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions, on this issue.
Amangeldiev noted that the attention to the Kyrgyz Republic from European sanctions bodies has a frightening nature and resembles the principle of “hit the small so that the big are afraid,” which the Kyrgyz side disagrees with.
Note:
Since the beginning of 2022, more than 20 companies from Kyrgyzstan have been sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. Treasury, including major banks and oil and gas companies. Secondary sanctions affecting the country involve not only financial institutions and the oil sector but also companies engaged in:
- the supply of telecommunications and electronic equipment,
- IT infrastructure,
- aviation fuel,
- air transport, and more.
Economist Robin Brooks from the Brookings Institution reported a significant increase in export supplies from Europe to Kyrgyzstan: from Estonia — by 10,000%, from Finland — by 3,100%, from Poland and Greece — by 2,200% and 2,100%, as well as from Norway, the U.K., Germany, and the Czech Republic — by more than 1,000%.
