New EU Sanctions Unlikely to Target Russia's Nuclear Industry, Report Suggests

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - New EU sanctions against Russia are unlikely to include nuclear energy production, the Politico newspaper reported, citing diplomats.

The European Commission held a meeting with senior EU diplomats on Saturday on the draft of the next package of sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.

Nuclear energy is unlikely to be part of the next sanctions package because this is a key energy sector in France and Bulgaria, the diplomats told the newspaper, adding that there could be an issue with the maintenance of nuclear power plants in Europe built by the Soviet Union.

The EU has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow. Reports about the introduction of the next package of sanctions against Russia appeared amid the decision of the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR), as well as the Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, to hold referendums on accession to Russia from September 23-27.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the policy of containing and weakening Moscow is part of the West's long-term strategy, while sanctions have hit the entire global economy.