On Thursday 20 June, the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU agreed on a fourteenth package of sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its aggression against Ukraine.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed the agreement between the ambassadors. “These measures strengthen existing sanctions and close loopholes. The EU is continuing to put the brakes on the Russian war machine in order to put an end to this illegal war”, Mr Michel declared on X.
For Ms von der Leyen, “this hard-hitting package will further deprive Russia of access to key technologies [...] and new energy revenues. And it attacks Putin’s shadow fleet and parallel banking network abroad”.
The measures, which should be officially approved without discussion by the EU foreign ministers on Monday 24 June, include a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to European LNG terminals that are not connected to the EU’s common gas network, as well as investments in this area and LNG transhipments. “For the first time, it includes targeted measures on liquefied natural gas, which are essential if Russia is to be deprived of new energy revenues”, highlighted European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.
The measures also include additional restrictions on sea and air transport. Additional restrictions on exports of goods that could contribute to strengthening Russian industrial capacity and dual-use goods and technologies have also been approved.
The EU will also ban additional financial messaging systems and adopt rules for the financing of European bodies by the Russian state.
More than 100 new individuals and entities will also be subject to restrictive measures for infringing Ukraine’s sovereignty or for supporting the Russian military-industrial complex in its war of aggression against Ukraine. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)