19th EU sanctions package against Russia ready. Von der Leyen: “Threats are rising, let’s increase the pressure”

Brussels – Energy, banking, and cryptocurrency. In the 19th European sanctions package on Russia, there is everything that Ursula von der Leyen had anticipated a few days ago to US President Donald Trump, starting with speeding up the abandonment of Russian liquefied natural gas. “In recent months, Russia has shown all its contempt for diplomacy and international law,” said the EU leader. In addition to the heavy raids on civilian homes and government buildings in Ukraine, there were allegations of GPS jamming of the European Commission president’s plane and violations of Polish and Romanian airspace. 

If “threats to our Union increase, we respond by increasing the pressure,” von der Leyen continued. In the end, the clampdown on energy imports from Russia arrives: “It is time to turn off the tap. We are ready to do so. We have saved energy, diversified supplies, and invested in low-carbon sources like never before,” the leader assured, revealing the banning of Russian LNG imports from 1 January 2027. One year earlier, therefore, than the calendar planned by REPowerEU. 

In addition, von der Leyen announced the lowering of the ceiling on the price of Russian oil to $47.6 per barrel. The EU tightens the net on the Kremlin’s major energy companies: Rosneft and Gazprom Neft will be “subject to a total ban on transactions,” while assets on European territory of “refineries, oil traders and petrochemical companies in third countries, including China” will be frozen. Also on the EU blacklist are 118 more ships from the ghost fleet with which the Kremlin circumvents crude oil sanctions. In total, Brussels has identified and sanctioned over 560 vessels. 

The second track followed by the European Commission concerns the “financial loopholes used by Moscow to circumvent sanctions.” Thus, transaction bans for other banks in Russia and third countries and “for the first time our restrictive measures will hit cryptocurrency platforms.” Finally, as underlined by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, “we must cut off supplies to the Russian military industry, so that it cannot feed its war machine.” The 19th package adds more chemicals, metal components, and minerals to the export bans. “We are strengthening export controls on Russian, Chinese, and Indian entities,” Kallas explained: 45 new companies in Russia and third countries end up on the list of restrictive measures. “Our message is clear: those who support Russia’s war and try to circumvent our sanctions will suffer the consequences,” the EU diplomacy chief continued. 

At the same time, von der Leyen announced that “soon” the European Commission will present a proposal to use the profits generated by Russian assets frozen in the EU to finance Ukraine’s military expenditure. The European Commission president addressed the capitals: “I am now counting on you to adopt the package quickly.”