The European Council adopted a 19th package of restrictive measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, adding 69 individual listings and introducing further economic sanctions targeting sectors including energy, finance and the military-industrial complex. The package also tightens controls on the movement of Russian diplomats within the Schengen area, adds measures aimed at those responsible for the abduction of Ukrainian children, and imposes additional restrictions on Belarus for supporting Russia’s war effort. Energy measures include a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the EU, tighter restrictions on dealings with Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, additional “shadow fleet” measures including a port access ban and services ban on 117 more vessels (557 in total) and a ban on reinsuring shadow fleet vessels, and listings of third-country operators described as enabling Russian oil revenues, including Chinese refineries and an oil trader. Financial measures include sanctions linked to the stablecoin A7A5 and an EU-wide prohibition on transactions involving it, transaction bans on specified banks and oil traders in several jurisdictions as well as additional Russian banks, and prohibitions on EU operators engaging with the Russian National Payment Card System (Mir) and the Fast Payments System (SBP), alongside restrictions on economic relationships with entities active in nine Russian special economic zones. The package also expands export restrictions and adds 45 entities to tighter controls (including entities in China including Hong Kong, India and Thailand), introduces a prohibition on purchasing, importing or transferring all acyclic hydrocarbons, lists Russia’s largest gold producer, makes prior authorisation mandatory for all services provided to the Russian government, restricts AI, high-performance computing and commercial space-based services, and bans tourism-related services; Belarus measures include further listings and expanded restrictions including on crypto-related payment services and specified software. The LNG import ban is set to apply from January 2027 for long-term contracts and within six months for short-term contracts.
European Council 2025-10-23
European Council adopts 19th Russia sanctions package adding 69 listings and phasing in an EU ban on Russian LNG imports
The European Council adopted a 19th sanctions package against Russia for invading Ukraine, adding 69 individual listings and targeting energy, finance, and the military-industrial complex. Key measures include a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports, restrictions on Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, and sanctions on stablecoin A7A5. The package also imposes additional restrictions on Belarus for supporting Russia, including expanded crypto-related payment service restrictions.