Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states met in Brussels in an effort to resolve remaining disagreements over what would become the bloc’s 21st sanctions package since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The urgency stems from existing EU regulations governing the oil price cap on Russian exports. Without a new agreement by Wednesday, the cap is set to rise from its current level of $44 per barrel to better reflect higher international oil prices, which have climbed amid conflict in the Middle East.

The European Commission has sought to prevent that automatic adjustment by extending the existing cap for several more months through the new sanctions package, arguing that maintaining the lower threshold would continue to limit the Kremlin’s oil revenues.

Negotiations have been complicated by objections from several member states over specific measures contained in the proposal.

Diplomatic sources said Bulgaria opposed plans to add Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to the EU sanctions list.

Germany also raised concerns over a proposal to ban imports of Russian Alaskan pollock, a fish commonly used in processed food products, including children’s meals, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions.

Member states also sought to soften a proposal that would impose broad visa restrictions on Russian nationals who participated in the war in Ukraine.

Diplomats said several outstanding issues remained unresolved, leaving uncertainty over whether a final compromise could be reached before the oil price cap deadline.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday that member states were “quite close” to reaching an agreement.

She said the bloc’s objective remained securing unanimous approval for the sanctions package but added that alternative options would be explored if consensus proved impossible.

Any failure to approve the package would come at a politically sensitive moment as European leaders seek to maintain pressure on Moscow while supporting Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Separately, the Kremlin rejected accusations by the European Union and Britain that Russian intelligence agencies were responsible for a campaign of cyberattacks across Europe.

The EU and the United Kingdom announced coordinated sanctions on Monday targeting individuals linked to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency over what they described as persistent cyber operations aimed at destabilizing European countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations, saying Russia did not accept the accusations and describing them as unsubstantiated.

Peskov also condemned the sanctions as illegal and said they would not alter Moscow’s policies. He said Russia had adapted to the large number of sanctions imposed since the start of the war and had developed ways to reduce their economic impact.