The Secretary of State for European Affairs, Tiago Antunes, has called for the European Union (EU) to impose "more effective" sanctions on Russia for its

invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with Lusa on the occasion of Europe Day, Antunes emphasized the need for the EU to remain vigilant and to avoid sanction evasion mechanisms. He noted that the EU is currently discussing an 11th package of sanctions, which is expected to focus on avoiding evasion of existing sanctions.

Antunes also stated that the 10 packages of sanctions already in force have been "quite robust and quite powerful," and have effectively limited Russia's capacity to carry out and intensify its war effort. He added that these sanctions have had an effective impact on limiting Russia's offensive power. However, he stressed the importance of adopting new measures that include important partners of Russian oligarchs.

While declining to comment on the advanced news regarding possible restrictive measures for Chinese companies close to Russian oligarchs, Antunes emphasized that it is essential for the EU to adopt measures that effectively address the situation in Ukraine and avoid sanction evasion.