Germany’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is signaling a tougher stance on Russia, backing stronger EU sanctions including bans on gas and uranium imports and the use of frozen Russian state assets.

Thorsten Frei, Merz’s chief of staff, said Europe must move beyond its “comfort zone” to increase pressure on Moscow. The EU is preparing a new round of sanctions following recent measures targeting Russia’s oil “shadow fleet” and financial networks, accoding to Reuters.

Merz has also supported the potential confiscation of frozen Russian assets, if legally feasible.