INFO:

EU officials faced tough questions at a Brussels press conference over the latest sanctions on Russian oil. Reporters grilled them on whether the new maritime services ban was evidence that the oil price cap had failed. Commission spokespeople avoided giving full details before the package was formally presented but insisted the measures strengthen sanctions and make exports harder. Officials defended a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference as vital for global diplomacy. The sanctions still require unanimous approval, while Moscow called them illegal and warned of backfire.