EU approves 19th sanctions package against Russia targeting energy sector

The European Union has approved its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy infrastructure and war financing mechanisms in a move that aligns with recent US initiatives to increase pressure on Moscow.

According to Denmark, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, the new measures include a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia starting in 2027.

The package strengthens trading restrictions with two major Russian oil companies and imposes sanctions on 117 vessels in the “shadow fleet” that help Russia circumvent previous limitations.

“Sanctions have a real impact and are hitting the Russian economy,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement. “Moscow is facing increasing difficulties in financing its illegal war of aggression,” he added, according to Bloomberg.

The measures had been delayed for weeks due to objections from Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. The adoption comes one day after the United States imposed sanctions on energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s largest oil producers.

The EU package also targets 45 entities facilitating sanctions evasion, including 12 companies in China and Hong Kong, and bans reinsurance of Russian second-hand aircraft and vessels.

Additional measures include a complete ban on transactions with five Russian banks and expanded restrictions on Russian electronic payment systems and third-country banks in Belarus and Kazakhstan.