European Union (EU) countries on Thursday officially approved their 19th sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, which includes a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.
The 27 member states had already approved the package on Wednesday evening after Slovakia dropped its block.
“It’s a significant package that targets main Russian revenue streams through new energy, financial, and trade measures,” the Danish rotating presidency of the EU said.
The LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months, and long-term contracts will take effect on January 1, 2027.
The full ban comes a year earlier than the Commission’s roadmap to end the bloc’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
Measures in the package also include a new mechanism to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the EU, the statement said.
“It targets Russian banks, crypto exchanges, entities in India and China, among others,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.
“The EU is curbing Russian diplomats’ movements to counter the attempts at destabilisation. It is increasingly harder for Putin to fund this war.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the ban on LNG imports is an important step towards a complete phasing out of Russian energy in the EU.
EU To Back Zelenskyy
European leaders plan to demonstrate support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Thursday, following a turbulent week during which Donald Trump first announced, then withdrew, plans to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
At a summit meeting, leaders of the European Union are expected to meet Zelenskyy, reiterate backing for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and agree to develop a proposal to use frozen Russian assets for a big loan to Kyiv.
Zelenskyy will also receive a boost in the form of a new package of EU sanctions against Russia.
(With inputs from Reuters)
