(L-R) European Council President Antonio Costa, President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, Belgium, on June 18, 2026. (Nicolas Tucat / AFP / Getty Images)
BRUSSELS, Belgium — Despite a long and difficult birth, EU countries passed the bloc’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia on July 23, and the measures that made it through show that the EU is not lacking in creativity when it comes to restricting Russia’s war efforts.
The EU published 218 new sanctioned entities in its July 23 announcement, the most in a single sanctions package since 2022.
Several high-profile names did not make the final listing. Bulgaria blocked the addition of Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian…
