EU envoys meet to negotiate 21st Russia sanctions package

However, new cracks in the bloc's unity have come to the surface as the European Commission tries to close remaining loopholes for Russian ​business and put further pressure on Russia's vital energy revenues.

A European state intelligence service report, seen by Reuters, ​warned in June that Russia ​risked an "explosive" banking crisis ⁠and a new sanctions package targeting banks could trigger an economic shock.

However, Greece, which ​wants the EU to soften planned restrictions on Russian LNG supplies, has become the main obstacle to ​its adoption.