Brussels, 20 May 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The European Union's foreign and defence ministers are to meet in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing fighting in Ukraine, the bloc's defence capabilities and the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Foreign ministers are set to formally sign off on the EU's 17th package of sanctions on Moscow over Russia's war on Ukraine, targeting the so-called Russian shadow fleet.

These often-uninsured ships with murky ownership help Moscow evade Western oil price caps.

Personal sanctions such as EU entry bans and asset freezes are foreseen in more than a dozen cases. There are also plans to target several dozen companies that are involved in circumventing Russia sanctions.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is expected to meet his EU counterparts by video-link after negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian envoys on a ceasefire proposed by Kiev failed to produce concrete results.

Foreign ministers are to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East including in the Gaza Strip and Syria.

Defence ministers are to start with a discussion on the EU's military support for war-torn Ukraine.

Ukrainian Defence Ministers Rustem Umerov is to join the consultations by video-link, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to join the talks in Brussels in person.

Defence ministers are also set to discuss how to improve the EU's defence capacities and increase military spending, including a proposal for a €150 billion ($169 billion) defence fund.

MIA file photo