EU close to agreement on new sanctions against Russia, Kallas says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU countries are close to reaching an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.

"We hope to reach a political agreement on the 18th sanctions package. We are very, very close. I hope it comes today," Kallas said before a meeting with foreign affairs ministers from the 27 EU countries in Brussels.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Kim Coghill)