European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the 21st package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday 9 June.
Energy. Emphasising that the conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to global energy supply chains had “somewhat eased” the pressure on Russia, Ursula von der Leyen proposed suspending the mechanism for adjusting the Russian oil price cap until next January. “This will give the oil markets time to stabilise, while maintaining pressure on Russian revenues”, she explained to the media.
The president wants to add 30 more vessels to the sanctions list, in addition to the 632 already sanctioned. “For the first time, we will also target vessels that assist the shadow fleet, for example by supplying fuel or other services”, explained Ms von der Leyen, adding that critical infrastructure, such as ports, airports or refineries, which market or process Russian oil, would also be targeted.
Lastly, the Commission is proposing to restrict the sale of LNG carriers to Russia, as it already does for oil tankers.
Energy revenues are said to have fallen by around 40% at the start of 2026.
Finance. In addition, the Commission intends to extend transaction bans to 31 more Russian banks and to 20 banks, companies or cryptocurrency platforms and oil traders in third countries that have provided services to sanctioned Russian entities and individuals or have circumvented European measures.
“For the first time, we are considering the possibility of a total ban on crypto-asset services operating in third countries. This measure will act as a deterrent to those states hosting platforms that help Russia circumvent our sanctions”, explained Ms von der Leyen.
Trade. The Commission is also proposing new export restrictions on goods and technologies used by the Russian military industry, for example metals and alloys used in the aerospace and defence sectors. As regards drones, it is also proposing new export bans on ground support equipment, jamming systems and launch systems, among other things.
New targeted sanctions will cover “more than 30 designations in drone manufacturing as well as new export control measures on 50 companies, including entities based in China, Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, UAE and India”, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas specified on X.
The Commission also intends to impose new import bans on a number of goods worth €60 million: certain metals, ores and car parts. “We want to consolidate Europe’s diversification and reduce its dependence on Russian imports”, Ms von der Leyen specified.
Fisheries. The Commission also proposes to tackle the fisheries sector for the first time, with “severe restrictions on imports of certain fish products and a total ban on others, such as cod”.
Ms von der Leyen specified that the EU intended to align trade restrictions with Belarus so that the country could not serve as a back door for Russian trade.
Lastly, she endorsed the Estonian proposal to ban former Russian soldiers from entering the European Union. “Europe will remain off-limits to anyone who has participated in the invasion of Ukraine”, she said.
According to Ms Kallas, the proposal includes targeted sanctions concerning more than 170 people and entities, “notably on the financial sector, energy and drone production”, representing “the largest set of listings in over two years”. This is in addition to the “81 listings that the Foreign Affairs Council will adopt next week, targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, its military-industrial complex, human rights violators, and propagandists”, she announced.
Asked during her trip to Ireland about an alumina refinery owned by a Russian company in the country, alumina allegedly used to produce weapons in Russia, and the absence of measures against alumina exports in the 21st package of sanctions (see EUROPE 13883/17), Ms Kallas explained that this case showed that “we should also look into [...] the material that Russia needs to continue with its war”.
“We have to be creative in coming up with the next sanctions, because our aim means that this war will end, and it will also end if the aggressor runs out of money or material to continue”, she added. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)