New Delhi, July 23 -- BRUSSELS - When Greece's Arctic icebreakers became the price of European unity on Wednesday, the terms told the whole story. EU ambassadors agreed on the bloc's 21st sanctions package against Russia, clearing a deadlock that had persisted for weeks - but only after Athens extracted a specific carve-out protecting the Dynagas-operated vessels that ferry Russia's liquefied natural gas from Yamal to markets across Asia. Europe got its sanctions. Greece kept its contracts. The 21st package passed.

The agreement, confirmed by two EU diplomats who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing, will go to a formal Council vote for approval. The package is the broadest since the bloc began imp...