Frei eyes tougher Russia curbs

Europe needs to step “out of its comfort zone” and consider much tougher sanctions on Russia, such as bans on gas or uranium, or tapping into frozen Russian state assets, Thorsten Frei, the chief of staff of Germany's new chancellor, told Reuters.

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The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday over its invasion of Ukraine, zeroing in on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and financial firms that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions.

The next round of EU sanctions, currently being prepared, must be strong, including even some measures that might impact other EU states, Mr Frei said in an interview at his new office in the chancellery.

“We must step out of our comfort zone and adopt measures that truly go beyond the status quo,” the conservative politician said.