In order to reduce Russian fossil fuel profits, President Ursula Von der Leyen calls on member states to support fresh measures.
In an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its “brutal” conflict in Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed the 19th round of sanctions against Russia, calling on EU countries to enact further prohibitions on Russia’s LNG exports.
EU Targets Russian LNG
“Fossil fuel profits support Russia’s military economy,” von der Leyen said on Friday. “We want to reduce these earnings. Therefore, we are prohibiting Russian LNG shipments into European markets.
She went on to say, “This is the way to give peace a genuine shot. We want Russia to leave the battlefield and come to the discussion table.”
More than 2,500 organizations, including banks, ministries, energy corporations, and people, have previously been the focus of EU penalties.
President Vladimir Putin, his close cronies, hundreds of Russian legislators, and a number of billionaires are among those facing sanctions. Travel restrictions and asset freezes make up the majority of the measures.
EU Faces LNG Hurdles
According to von der Leyen, the bloc’s current measures are working
“Russia’s overheated war economy is reaching to its limit,” she warned, citing the country’s persistently high inflation rate.
Although it sometimes takes weeks to agree on new targets, the EU has so far approved 18 punishment packages against Moscow.
Europe is Russia’s biggest LNG consumer, and Russian LNG made up around 16 percent of the bloc’s overall imports last year.
Hungary and Slovakia, who have been known to use their veto power to get concessions, have resisted any phase-out of Russian LNG, potentially impeding further progress.
Kallas Pushes Faster Phase-Out
Moscow will have to “pay the price.”
Kaja Kallas, the head of EU foreign policy, said in a separate statement that the group was extending a prior commitment to stop all LNG imports by the end of 2027 by a year.
She wrote on X, “Our goal is to expedite the phase-out of Russian liquefied natural gas by January 1, 2027.”
Moscow believes it can continue its battle. We are ensuring that it bears the consequences.
According to Kallas, the bloc also wants to “make it simpler” to punish those responsible for kidnapping Ukrainian children.
Russia has been under international fire since 2022 for deporting Ukrainian families, many of whom had children.
Kallas said on social media, “It is indescribable to tear children away from their families and send them to reeducation centers.” “We will not allow Russia to use youth into a weapon.”
Georgian businesspeople are the subject of UK sanctions
On Friday, the UK imposed sanctions on two Georgian businessmen and two tankers transporting Russian oil for their backing of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
In a statement, the UK foreign ministry stated, “The UK has announced fresh sanctions against Georgia-linked supporters of Putin’s illegitimate aggression in Ukraine.”
“The Kremlin is increasingly seeking proxies in other countries to help its military and propaganda activities, especially in Georgia, as Russia’s war footing diminishes,” the ministry’s statement said.
The UK accuses Georgian politician and media tycoon Levan Vasadze of spreading pro-Russian misinformation, and he is one of the people sanctioned.
Additionally sanctioned was Otar Partskhaladze, the former prosecutor general of Georgia and a person London said had “substantial contacts to Russia.”
Two vessels also received sanctions for violating Western regulations by transporting Russian oil to the Georgian port of Batumi.
According to the statement, Minister of State Stephen Doughty said, “Putin’s war machine depends on a worldwide web to distribute disinformation and support this network.”
“By targeting and discouraging individuals in Georgia who support Putin’s illegitimate war in Ukraine, we are cutting off another lifeline.”