European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reported on July 13 that EU nations had not reached final consensus on the 21st sanctions package against Russia, though negotiators were “quite close.” Speaking after a foreign ministers’ meeting, Kallas acknowledged that Bulgaria’s objections had led to the removal of three proposed targets—including the Russian Orthodox Church head and the owner of Lukoil—but stressed that the bloc had still approved 250 new individual and entity listings, the largest single round of designations since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The approved sanctions target individuals and firms involved in human rights abuses and digital surveillance of civilians in Russia. The delay highlights internal divisions among member states, even as the EU continues expanding pressure on Moscow amid ongoing attacks in Ukraine.