The European Union has unveiled its 20th sanctions package against Russia, expanding restrictions on energy exports, finance and trade while introducing new tools to curb sanctions circumvention.
The package was presented on Friday, Feb. 6, according to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as part of the bloc’s continued efforts to tighten economic pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine.
Under the new measures, the EU will impose a full ban on maritime services for Russian oil, coordinated with the G7, and add 43 vessels to the list of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, bringing the total number of sanctioned ships to 640, von der Leyen said on Friday.
The package also introduces restrictions on the acquisition of oil tankers and bans services for LNG tankers and icebreakers. In addition, the EU will expand existing limits on Russian liquefied natural gas imports introduced under the 19th sanctions package as part of the bloc’s RepowerEU strategy.
New export bans will cover a wide range of goods, from rubber products to tractors and cybersecurity-related equipment, while additional import restrictions will apply to metals, chemicals and critical minerals.
The package further tightens controls on goods that could be used for Russia’s military production and introduces a quota on ammonia imports.
For the first time, the EU will activate its anti-circumvention tool, banning the export of CNC machine tools and radio equipment to countries deemed at high risk of re-exporting the items to Russia.
The sanctions include measures against 20 Russian regional banks, alongside new steps targeting cryptocurrencies, companies and platforms accused of helping Moscow circumvent existing restrictions.
The EU will also impose limitations on banks in third countries found to be facilitating illicit trade with Russia.
According to Bloomberg, several EU capitals have already signaled opposition to replacing the price cap with a services ban, even though sanctions can only be adopted with the unanimous backing of all member states.
On Sep. 19, the European Commission unveiled its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy imports, banks, crypto platforms, military suppliers and battlefield technology exports.