Austria announced on Saturday that it will support the European Union’s latest round of sanctions against Russia, reversing its earlier position and removing a major obstacle ahead of a scheduled vote early next week.

EU foreign ministers are set to meet on Monday in Luxembourg, where they aim to finalise the 19th sanctions package in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The approval process had previously been stalled due to Austria’s demands for the unfreezing of certain Russian assets as compensation for its Raiffeisen Bank, which has faced punitive measures from Moscow. However, other EU nations were not willing to meet those demands, and the sanctions require unanimous agreement among all 27 member states.

In a statement, Austria’s foreign ministry said, “Austria supports continued pressure on Russia and will approve the 19th package of sanctions on Monday.”

The proposed measures include a range of energy and financial restrictions, such as moving up a planned ban on Russian liquefied natural gas from January 1, 2028, to January 1, 2027.

While Slovakia has also expressed concerns about the package, four EU diplomats indicated that the European Commission is expected to issue a letter on Monday aimed at addressing those issues.

As of now, neither Slovakia’s foreign ministry nor the European Commission has provided a response to requests for comment.