--- title: "Sanctions against Russia: EU fails to agree on 21st package and extends oil price cap" description: "The EU failed to agree on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia by July 15. The oil price cap has been extended until July 23, and the protection status for Ukrainians until March 2028. πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡·πŸ‡Ί" date: 2026-07-15T17:38:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eu-fails-to-agree-on-21st-sanctions-package-and-extends-oil-price-cap tags: [eu, sanctions, russia, oil-price-cap, ukraine] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sanctions against Russia: EU fails to agree on 21st package and extends oil price cap ![EU flag in front of the European Commission building in Brussels: discussion on the 21st sanctions package against Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/15/es-ne-soglasoval-21-paket-sanktsiy-i-prodlil-potolok-tszen-na-neft/es-ne-soglasoval-21-paket-sanktsiy-i-prodlil-potolok-tszen-na-neft-1.webp) The meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union, held on July 15, concluded without a final decision on key issues of sanctions policy. On the same day, the validity period of the price cap on Russian oil expired, making the situation particularly tense for Brussels diplomats. ### Sanctions negotiations postponed According to RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement by Rikard Jozwiak, the Europe editor of Radio Free Europe, a consensus on introducing new restrictions against Russia has not yet been reached. Negotiations on this issue will continue next week. EU member states managed to agree only on a temporary compromise: the price cap on Russian oil will remain at $44 per barrel until at least July 23. This decision is intended to give diplomats and experts additional time to thoroughly analyze the economic and technical consequences of the measures laid out in the 21st sanctions package. ### What is included in the 21st sanctions package The European Commission submitted the draft of the 21st sanctions package for discussion by member states back on June 9. The document contains a number of strict measures, but their implementation is facing disagreements within the bloc. Some member states have begun to put forward their own strict conditions, which is slowing down the coordination process. One of the notable points during the discussion was the absence of Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church on the sanctions lists. It has become known that Bulgaria played a decisive role in this issue, opposing the inclusion of the religious leader in the list of sanctioned individuals. ### Extension of protection for Ukrainian citizens Despite the delay with economic sanctions, the EU has made progress in the humanitarian sphere. Ambassadors of member states agreed to extend the temporary protection status for Ukrainian citizens. Now, this status will be valid until March 2028, which will ensure legal certainty for millions of refugees located on the territory of the European Union.