EU unveils 19th sanctions package targeting Russia's economy and energy trade

The European Union on Friday unveiled its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, a sweeping effort to choke Moscow’s war economy by targeting energy trade, shipping, finance and technology. The plan follows a wave of Russian drone and missile strikes against Ukraine and a spate of recent airspace intrusions in Poland, Romania and Estonia that raised regional security concerns. EU leaders say the package is designed to squeeze Kremlin funding and push President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations to end the war.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposed package, calling on member states to endorse the measures quickly. “It’s time to turn off the tap. I now call on member states to quickly endorse these new sanctions. We want Russia to leave the battlefield and come to the negotiation table, and this is the way to give peace a real chance,” she said in a video statement. The bloc has already been reducing Russian energy use and diversifying suppliers, but the new package would intensify pressure by expanding the reach of sanctions across energy, finance and technology sectors. In a note accompanying the package, von der Leyen said Europe has reduced Russia’s oil revenues in Europe by about 90 percent over three years and stressed that the union is moving to “turn that page for good.”

The proposal would ban Russian liquefied natural gas imports to Europe by 2027, extend penalties to 118 more vessels belonging to Moscow’s shadow fleet—bringing the total to about 560 ships—and broaden enforcement against crypto platforms used to circumvent sanctions. It would also tighten restrictions on exports of battlefield technologies, including drones, and hit more than 45 additional companies in Russia and abroad that support the Kremlin’s military activities. Officials say the package targets those who fuel Russia’s war by facilitating oil purchases in breach of sanctions and aims to cut off access to key technologies in a war driven by innovation.

“The package takes aim at the core of Russia’s war economy,” a senior EU official said, noting that the sanctions would strike at refineries, oil traders and petrochemical firms tied to third countries, including China. Officials added that Russia’s oil revenues in Europe have fallen dramatically in recent years, and the bloc intends to press that decline further as part of its broader strategy to slow Moscow’s capacity to fund the war.

The plan now heads to the 27 EU member states for approval, a process that could take weeks. EU leaders have already signaled that continued unity will be essential to maintaining pressure on Moscow, even as some member states — notably Hungary and Slovakia — still rely heavily on Russian oil to meet energy needs. The bloc has argued that reducing dependence on Russian energy remains a prerequisite for any diplomatic settlement, and that sanctions will be adjusted in response to progress on the ground.

Analysts say the package represents the latest in a long series of punitive steps intended to constrain Moscow’s ability to finance the war, while also signaling that Europe intends to keep pressure on Putin until a meaningful diplomatic track emerges. The mention of potential oil purchases by Western allies remains a point of political debate in some capitals, but the EU’s stance is that sanctions must be maintained and tightened to forestall any indication that Moscow can secure a faster war settlement by accessing international markets.

On the broader strategic front, the sanctions come as Western leaders weigh the balance between sustaining economic pressure and maintaining energy security. U.S. officials have highlighted that allied nations, including those in Europe, should consider coordinated actions in energy markets to maximize impact on Moscow while ensuring consumer prices do not spike domestically. The EU’s 19th package underscores Brussels’s intent to keep up the pressure while seeking to minimize collateral damage for European households and industries.

In parallel, the Russian government has continued to pursue alternative channels to circumvent Western sanctions, including expanding trade through non-Western partners and leveraging ship-to-ship transfers to obscure the origin of refined products and crude. The EU’s move to penalize ships, traders, and third-country firms aims to close gaps in enforcement and interrupt those workarounds.

Ultimately, EU officials say the sanctions are designed not only to punish Moscow but also to create incentives for talks. Von der Leyen reiterated that the bloc will “turn that page” only with a credible path to peace and a demonstrable shift in Moscow’s behavior, emphasizing that the door to diplomacy remains open if Russia agrees to cease offensive actions and engage in negotiations.