Germany urges EU to step "out of its comfort zone" to ramp up sanctions on Russia

The chief of staff to Germany’s new chancellor, Thorsten Frei, has called on Europe to step "out of our comfort zone" and impose tougher sanctions on Russia, such as banning gas and uranium imports and tapping into frozen Russian state assets.

Thorsten Frei stated in an interview with Reuters that the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, preparation for which has begun after the adoption of the 17th package on 20 May 2025, should be robust and even include measures that might impact other EU countries.

"We must step out of our comfort zone and adopt measures that truly go beyond the status quo," he said.

When asked if this included banning Russian gas or uranium imports to Europe and tapping into frozen Russian state assets, Frei responded: "These are exactly the kinds of measures that would really hurt Russia – and thus achieve the impact we actually intend with sanctions."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin of lacking intent to seek peace, noting that during peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul last week, Russia’s attacks "continued unabated – they even intensified."

"He's playing for time," Frei said of Putin, adding that the Russian leader expects to achieve his military goals through force.

Frei also noted that Germany cannot rule out increasing military assistance to Ukraine beyond the €7 billion [US$7.7 billion] allocated in this year’s draft budget.

On 20 May 2025, the EU Council approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine, alongside separate sanctions for Russia’s use of chemical weapons against Ukraine.

The Council of the EU also detailed additional personal sanctions in response to Russia’s hybrid destabilising activities against EU countries and their partners.

These sanctions are part of a series of packages prepared for approval on 20 May.