Von der Leyen Says EU Is Drafting Its 22nd Russia Sanctions Round

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that the EU is preparing its 22nd sanctions package against Russia, with a proposal expected before the next European Council meeting on December 17 and 18. She spoke ahead of the 9th European Political Community summit in Dublin. Von der Leyen also welcomed the two-day trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi involving Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives, saying European participation would help safeguard the bloc's interests and back Kyiv at President Volodymyr Zelensky's request.

Earlier Thursday, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad told LCI television that the EU would roll out fresh sanctions against Russia as soon as November 16, targeting 150 additional entities and 50 banks. France, he said, had proposed most of the entities on that list. Haddad also condemned Russia's decision to ban two French lawmakers, Sacha Houlie and Arthur Delaporte, along with two journalists.

The push for more economic pressure comes as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday the bloc sees no goodwill from Moscow after this week's trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Kallas insisted the EU wants a ceasefire agreement first and a peace settlement after that, with Europe's security architecture — which she said Russia treats as a key issue — only discussed later. She noted such frameworks already exist and claimed Russia is not adhering to them.

The diplomacy unfolded alongside more violence in Ukraine. Several blasts shook Kyiv on Thursday afternoon as Russian drones targeted the capital, and Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said air defenses were activated and urged residents to stay in safe locations. Drone debris damaged a passenger car and set a bus on fire on a road in the Shevchenkivskyi district, Klitschko said, while Ukrainian media reported jet-powered drones heading for the city in a rare daytime raid.

Separately, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters Thursday that planning is underway for a meeting between the presidents of China, the United States and Russia at the APEC summit in Shenzhen next week. Everything is still in progress, he said, without offering details. US President Donald Trump had previously hoped to meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in China; Beijing has called such an encounter likely, but no country has officially confirmed it.