Europe adopts 19th sanctions package against Russia, including LNG import ban

EU countries on Thursday formally adopted a 19th package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine that includes a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports, Report informs via Reuters.

The 27 member states had already approved the package on Wednesday evening after Slovakia dropped its block.

"It's a significant package that targets main Russian revenue streams through new energy, financial, and trade measures," the Danish rotating presidency of the EU said.

The LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months and long-term contracts from January 1, 2027. The full ban comes a year earlier than the Commission's roadmap to end the bloc's reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

Measures in the package also include a new mechanism to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the EU, the statement said.

"It targets Russian banks, crypto exchanges, entities in India and China, among others," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.

"The EU is curbing Russian diplomats' movements to counter the attempts of destabilisation. It is increasingly harder for Putin to fund this war."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the ban on LNG imports is an important step towards a complete phasing out of Russian energy in the EU.

According to an EU statement, this package adds 45 entities to the list of those providing direct or indirect support to Russia's military industrial complex or engaged in sanctions circumvention. This includes 28 established in Russia and 17 in third countries (12 in China, including Hong Kong, 3 in India and 2 in Thailand).

The package includes measures against 117 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet. "With these new listings, a total of 557 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet are now listed by the EU. They are subject to a port access ban and a ban on receiving services," reads the statement.