EU proposes banning Russian LNG in 19th sanctions package

The European Commission unveiled on Sept. 19 the proposed next package of sanctions against Russia over its full-scale war against Ukraine, targeting Russian banks and energy revenues.

The news comes as Kyiv urges international partners to step up economic pressure on Moscow and push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward meaningful peace talks.

The EU's executive arm is proposing a complete import ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). Reuters previously reported that the ban should take effect in January 2027, a year earlier than the originally planned phase-out of Russian energy imports.

The package also includes a full transaction ban on Russia's energy giants Rosneft and Gazpromneft, sanctions on 118 "shadow fleet" vessels, and third-country traders and refineries, namely those in China, buying Russian oil in violation of sanctions.

For the first time, the EU is sanctioning crypto platforms, as well as banks in Russia and elsewhere that help Moscow avoid sanctions. The package also targets 45 Russian and third-country companies used to import dual-use goods to Russia.

"Unfortunately, over the past month, Russia has shown the full extent of its contempt for diplomacy and international law," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press briefing.

"The threats to our Union are also rising. In the last two weeks, Russian Shahed drones have violated our Union's airspace in both Poland and Romania."

The package must now be approved by all 27 member states.

The Commission was initially expected to unveil the 19th package on Sept. 17, but the move was postponed, reportedly due to U.S. President Donald Trump's push for European countries to cut off Russian oil purchases.

The Trump administration has said it would adopt additional sanctions on Moscow only once the EU also steps up its measures, including through tariffs on China, Russia's leading buyer of oil.

Following a call with Trump, von der Leyen said that Brussels will propose to speed up the phase-out of Russian energy imports, initially set for the end of 2027.

The previous EU package, approved on July 18, was said to be the "strongest... to date," primarily targeting Russia's oil revenues. The measures included lowering the price cap on Russian seaborne oil exports to $47.60 per barrel, sanctions against over 100 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet, and more.

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The Kyiv IndependentKarol Luczka