The European Union has put forward a proposal to broaden its sanctions regime against Russia by targeting ports in Georgia and Indonesia that facilitate the handling of Russian oil, according to a document reviewed by Reuters on Monday.
If adopted, the move would mark the first time the bloc has imposed sanctions on ports located in third countries.
Under the proposal, the Georgian port of Kulevi and Indonesia’s Karimun terminal would be added to the EU’s sanctions list, effectively prohibiting EU-based companies and individuals from engaging in any commercial dealings with either facility.
The measures are part of the EU’s 20th package of sanctions responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The package was jointly prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Commission and was formally presented to EU member states on Monday.
Speaking on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the package would introduce sweeping sectoral restrictions and replace the Group of Seven’s price cap on Russian crude with a comprehensive ban on maritime services linked to Russian oil.
Russia began shipping oil to Georgia’s Kulevi refinery shortly after the facility opened in October 2025, according to an earlier Reuters report.
Citing LSEG and a trader, the outlet reported that the tanker Kayseri transported 105,340 metric tons of Siberian Light crude from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiisk to the Kulevi Oil Terminal on Oct. 6.
Georgia remains heavily reliant on Russian energy imports. In 2024, the country purchased approximately $520 million worth of petroleum and petroleum oils from Russia, accounting for roughly 40% of its total imports in that category.
Indonesia’s Karimun terminal, situated within a free trade zone near Singapore, has meanwhile emerged as a key transit point for Russian oil products, with volumes rising sharply from late 2024 onward.
Ship-tracking data shows that since October of that year, the terminal has received Russian oil products every month, with onward shipments sent to Malaysia, Singapore, and China.
In total, about 217,000 metric tons (equivalent to roughly 1.6 million barrels) of Russian diesel were delivered to Karimun in 2025.