EUROPEAN UNION ambassadors agreed on Wednesday to hit Russia with a new package of sanctions to target individuals and businesses suspected of assisting Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

The decision comes just ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24 2022, and days after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Belgium, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc, said the “package is one of the broadest approved by the EU.”