Spain backs new sanctions against Russia, no EU agreement yet – foreign minister

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain supports a new package of EU sanctions against Moscow but there is no agreement yet as some member states remain heavily dependent on Russian crude imports and are reluctant to block them, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Monday.

“There are two goals we have when approving a sanction package. One is not allowing (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to finance his war effort with European capital and the other is not allowing Vladimir Putin’s war to destabilise the European Union,” Albares said in an interview with state broadcaster TVE.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Gareth Jones)