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The European Union approved a new sanctions package against Russia on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for negotiations over Ukraine’s future.
“EU delivers: Foreign Ministers just approved the 16th package of sanctions against Russia,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said in a statement.
“It hits everything from shadow fleet ships to gaming controllers used to control drones. We now have the most extensive sanctions ever, weakening Russia’s war effort,” she added.
The package, adopted on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, targets aluminum imports, shadow fleet vessels, and exports of chemicals, chrome and other materials used in precision machine tools.
It also includes a ban on servicing oil and gas refineries, but it does not include a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas, amid discussions with Washington about potentially increasing U.S. LNG exports to Europe.
The Trump administration has been pursuing negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, raising concerns among European leaders about the potential impact on their sanctions strategy.
“Russia and its people are paying a price for their leader’s actions,” the presidents of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, of the European Council António Costa and of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a joint statement announcing the sanctions.
“In a challenging international and geopolitical environment, we stress the importance of maintaining transatlantic and global solidarity with Ukraine,” the statement added.
