EU considering ban on video game console sales to Russia

Brussels is considering a ban on the sale of video game consoles to Russia in an effort to prevent the country’s military from using them to control drones targeting Ukraine.

Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated that devices like Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox would be included in a new wave of sanctions, which are set to coincide with the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 22, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“We are really looking into all the types of things that help Russia to wage this war to put them on the sanctions list,” Kallas told reporters. “Even the consoles for video games, because apparently these are the ones that they operate drones with.”

Western sanctions have forced Russia to become resourceful, reportedly repurposing basic semiconductors from household appliances like refrigerators for its missiles and drones, according to intelligence from the West and Ukraine. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, the top three video game console manufacturers, stopped selling to Russia in early March 2022.

The proposed EU ban would target traders in the European Union who ship gaming equipment, including used items, to Russia. So far, none of the companies have responded to requests for comment. China has become Russia's leading supplier, exporting over $120 million worth of gaming consoles and related equipment to Russia in 2023, according to Trade Data Monitor. This represents a sharp rise from just under $30 million in 2022, when many western firms cut ties with the Russian market in response to the invasion.

“Drone remote controllers are essential for military drone operations and should undoubtedly be banned,” said Olena Bilousova, a military and dual-use goods expert at the Kyiv School of Economics. 

However, she warned that an EU ban might not have a major effect, as most operators in Russia rely on Chinese-made controllers available through online marketplaces. Kallas also mentioned that chemicals essential for Russia's military industry would be included in the new sanctions, alongside restrictions on liquefied natural gas imports. 

While the EU has already banned nearly all pipeline gas and oil imports following the war, it has been purchasing more Russian LNG, with imports reaching a record level in 2024. In 2024, only about 10 per cent of the EU’s piped gas came from Russia, according to European Commission data. As of January 1, half of those volumes, which were transported through Ukraine, stopped after a transit agreement with Russian state-owned Gazprom expired. 

The EU aims to phase out all Russian fossil fuels by 2027. It has already banned coal imports from Russia and imposed a price cap on seaborne oil in collaboration with international partners. Several Scandinavian and Baltic states are pushing for a reduction in the oil price cap. The G7 has set a $60 price ceiling for insurers and traders to limit Moscow’s revenue, but any changes would require coordination with the UK, US, Japan, and Canada. 

The proposed package could also include measures to restrict Russian aluminium imports. In the first 10 months of last year, the EU imported over 130,000 tonnes of Russian aluminium, representing around 6 per cent of its total imports, according to Trade Data Monitor. It remains unclear whether the EU will impose a ban on Russian aluminium or introduce punitive tariffs that would make it unaffordable. 

The EU's industrial sector has long been advocating for a ban on the light metal. However, sanctions require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states. Existing restrictions nearly collapsed when Hungary threatened to veto a routine six-month renewal due to Ukraine’s termination of its gas transit deal with Moscow. 

Hungary eventually backed down after the European Commission issued a statement promising to "continue discussions" with Ukraine regarding gas supplies to Europe. 

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, remarked that some countries had become "emotional" over the January 1 end of the transit deal, which had been anticipated for some time by Kyiv.

By Naila Huseynova