The European Council published a statement noting that Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine have aligned their national policies with the European Union’s expanded restrictive measures in response to Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine. The aligned measures stem from a Council decision adopted on 16 December 2024 that introduced further restrictions, including targeting 52 additional vessels linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” and adding 32 companies to the list of persons and entities supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex, with a focus on combating sanctions circumvention. The decision also increases the legal protection of EU Central Securities Depositories.