EU’s 19th sanctions package against Russia coordinated with US, French FM says

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has announced that the European Union's upcoming 19th package of sanctions against Russia has been coordinated with the United States, marking the first such alignment since Donald Trump returned to office. 

Barrot stated that the large-scale sanctions package had been agreed jointly with Washington and is expected to be formally adopted in the near future, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The new sanctions are part of ongoing efforts to respond to Russia’s continued war against Ukraine and represent one of the most comprehensive rounds of measures imposed by the EU to date.

Unveiled by the European Commission on September 19, the proposed package targets key areas of the Russian economy, including energy revenues, financial loopholes, and military supply chains. A central element of the package is a ban on the import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into EU markets, as well as a reduction in the crude oil price cap to $47.60 per barrel.

Additionally, the sanctions list will expand to include 118 more vessels from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” bringing the total number of sanctioned ships to over 560. Major Russian energy companies such as Rosneft and Gazpromneft will be subject to a full transaction ban under the new measures.

The sanctions are also designed to target third-party actors facilitating sanctions evasion. Refineries, petrochemical companies, and oil traders in countries like China will be impacted, as will financial institutions in Russia and abroad. Notably, for the first time, the EU will impose restrictions on cryptocurrency platforms and foreign banks linked to Russia’s alternative payment systems, aiming to further limit Moscow’s ability to bypass existing financial barriers.

By Sabina Mammadli