In furtherance of its support for Ukraine, the European Union Council has adopted the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy, finance, and the military industrial complex.
The Council, which is also firming control over the movement of Russian diplomats across the EU, imposed further measures on Belarus to restrict its support for the Russian war.
The EU said the latest package follows Russia’s escalating aggression against Ukraine, particularly the recent strikes on civilian infrastructure, including energy, water, and health facilities.
On Thursday, the regional alliance decried how the attacks have inflicted severe suffering on the civilian population and condemned Moscow’s “unwillingness to pursue peace.”
Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the new action targets Russian energy, banks, crypto exchanges, and entities in China, among others.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for Putin to finance his war,” she noted. “Every euro we deny Russia is one it cannot spend on war. The 19th package will not be the last.”
The package tightens the embargo on Russia’s Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, and bars Russian gas imports, starting January 2027 for long-term contracts and within six months for short-term contracts.
To further constrain Russia’s revenue sources, the EU has listed the nation’s largest gold producer and designated an additional 117 vessels, bringing the total number to 557.
Also affected is a Tatarstani conglomerate active in the Russian oil sector, as well as Chinese entities – two refineries and an oil trader – that are significant buyers of Russian crude oil.
Equally listed is Litasco, Lukoil’s shadow fleet based in the UAE, the largest port container operator in the Russian Far East, and a leading shipbuilder for Sovcomflot.
To curb Russia’s increasing use of crypto, the EU has sanctioned stablecoin A7A5, the developer, the Kyrgyz issuer, and the operator of a platform where high volumes of A7A5 are traded.
Furthermore, five more Russian banks, plus eight banks and oil traders from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, and Hong Kong, are subject to a transaction prohibition.
The EU has also banned the Russian National Payment Card System and scores of entities enabling Moscow’s access to computer numerical control machine tools, microelectronics, and UAVs.
In response to the forcible deportation of nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia or occupied territories, 11 additional individuals responsible for the abduction have been blacklisted.
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