EU Hits Russia with One of the ‘Strongest Sanctions Packages to Date’

Key Points and Summary – The European Union has approved its 18th and one of its “strongest” sanctions packages against Russia, a move that aligns with President Trump’s recent hardline shift on Ukraine.

-After months of negotiations and overcoming resistance from Slovakia, the new measures take direct aim at Moscow’s energy revenues by lowering the price cap on its oil to $47.60 per barrel.

-The sanctions also target Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers used to circumvent previous restrictions.

-While Ukrainian President Zelenskyy praised the move, the Kremlin dismissed it, claiming it has developed an “immunity” to such economic pressure.

Russia Hit with New EU Ukraine War Sanctions 

After months of wrangling, the European Union on Friday approved a new round of sanctions on Russia.

The sanctions, the 18th round approved by the EU since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, consist of “economic and individual restrictive measures hitting hard on Russia’s energy, banking and military sectors, as well as trade with the EU, and ensuring accountability for Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Additional measures were also placed on Russia-allied Belarus.

The headline measure is aimed at Russia’s energy revenues.

“The EU is lowering the price cap for crude oil from USD 60 to USD 47.6 per barrel, to align it with current global oil prices and is introducing an automatic and dynamic mechanism to modify the oil price cap and ensure that this price cap is effective,” the EU said in its announcement. “Oil exports still represent one third of the Russian government’s revenues.”

The new sanctions also target Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which has been used to evade previous sanctions.

“An additional 105 vessels will be subject to a port access ban and a ban on the provision of a broad range of services related to maritime transport, bringing the total number of listed vessels to 444. This measure targets non-EU tankers that are part of Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet circumventing the oil price cap mechanism, which support the energy sector of Russia or which transport military equipment for Russia or stolen Ukrainian grain,” the EU said.

“The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date. Each sanction weakens Russia’s ability to wage war. The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war,” Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and chair of the Foreign Affairs Council, said in the EU release.

How the Deal Was Reached

The EU nations had been discussing the sanctions for much of the spring and summer, with some countries, such as Slovakia, resisting the oil price cap.

Per the Associated Press, the European Commission had originally proposed lowering the price cap from $60 to $45, ultimately agreeing to $47.6 per barrel.

However, the EU was not able to get other G7 countries, such as the U.S., to participate in the new price cap regime.

Per The Guardian, Slovakia, which had been the last holdout, agreed to drop its opposition late on Thursday.

Prime Minister Robert Fico, the report said, “said late Thursday that he received additional guarantees from the EU on the technically unrelated, but politically linked, issue of gas imports from Russia and was now prepared to support the package.”

“At this point, it would be counterproductive to continue blocking the 18th sanctions package tomorrow,” Fico said Thursday in a video message on Facebook, as reported by Reuters.

The View From Ukraine

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, praised the new sanctions in a social media post Friday.

“A decision by the European Union that we all worked for together. We managed to strengthen the 18th package of sanctions against Russia for this war, and today the package has been approved. I thank everyone who contributed to this,” Zelenskyy said.

“The 18th sanctions package continues to target Russia’s tanker fleet – not only the vessels themselves, but also the captains of the shadow fleet and the companies enabling such oil-financed acts of killing. We will continue applying this pressure.”

Russia Is Mad

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, declared,  “we consider such unilateral restrictions unlawful,” per the AP.

“At the same time, we have acquired certain immunity from sanctions. We have adapted to living under sanctions,” Peskov told reporters. “We will need to analyze the new package in order to minimize negative consequences from it.”

About the Author: Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.

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