The European Union does not plan to revise its sanctions policy towards Russia and restore access of Russian banks to the international SWIFT system, Euractiv reported, citing sources in Brussels. Such a decision could create additional obstacles to the implementation of the agreements reached between Russia and the United States during recent consultations in Saudi Arabia, where issues of restoring agricultural exports and stabilizing world markets were discussed. The EU's tough stance underlines its commitment to pressuring Moscow, despite attempts to find a compromise within the framework of international negotiations.

According to Euractiv, the EU considers sanctions, including disconnecting Russian financial institutions from SWIFT, a key tool for influencing Russia in the context of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. This step, first implemented in 2022 against a number of large banks, such as VTB and Sberbank, was supplemented in February 2025 by another package of measures affecting another 13 credit institutions. Failure to ease the sanctions regime, as analysts note, could complicate the implementation of the compromises that Moscow and Washington agreed on in Riyadh. In particular, Russia insisted on lifting restrictions on Rosselkhozbank and connecting it to SWIFT to facilitate the export of grain and fertilizers, but Brussels is not yet ready to make concessions.

Consultations in Saudi Arabia, which took place in early March 2025, were part of efforts to find ways to de-escalate the economic consequences of the conflict. The US expressed its readiness to facilitate the return of Russian food to the world market, reduce the cost of insurance for maritime transport and simplify access to payment systems. However, without the participation of the EU, which controls SWIFT through Belgian jurisdiction, these plans risk remaining on paper. Brussels emphasizes that any concessions are possible only on condition of the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory - a demand that Moscow has repeatedly rejected.