Europe Unveils 19th Sanctions Package as Russia Escalates War on Ukraine

In a stark address, European leaders announced the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, responding to a month marked by Moscow’s most severe drone and missile strikes since the invasion of Ukraine began. The latest attacks targeted not only Ukrainian government buildings and homes but also the EU’s own office in Kyiv.

Russian aggression has spilled beyond Ukraine’s borders, with Shahed drones violating Polish and Romanian airspace, underscoring what Brussels calls a direct threat to European security.

“These are not the actions of someone who wants peace,” Ursula von der Leyen warned, accusing President Vladimir Putin of systematic escalation.

Cutting Off Energy Revenues

The centerpiece of the new measures focuses on energy revenues fueling Russia’s war machine. The EU will ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), reduce the crude oil price cap to $47.60 per barrel, and sanction an additional 118 vessels involved in sanctions evasion. In total, over 560 ships are now blacklisted.

Major state-owned firms Rosneft and Gazpromneft face a full transaction ban, while oil traders and refineries in third countries—including China—are also being targeted. Brussels notes that Russia’s oil revenues from Europe have already plunged by 90% in three years.

Cracking Down on Financial Loopholes

To choke off sanctions evasion, Europe is moving against banks and financial institutions inside Russia and abroad. For the first time, restrictions will extend to cryptocurrency platforms, cutting off digital payment channels used to bypass the financial blockade.

Restricting Battlefield Technology

New export controls will block critical technologies used in Russia’s war effort, especially drones. Forty-five companies in Russia and allied states have been blacklisted for supplying the Kremlin’s military-industrial base.

Economic Pressure Mounts

EU officials highlighted that sanctions are taking a toll: Russia’s interest rates have soared to 17%, inflation remains high, and its overheated war economy is showing strain.

Moscow, they noted, often demands “sanctions relief” in private talks—evidence, the EU argues, that economic pressure is working.

Financing Ukraine’s Defense

Alongside sanctions, Brussels is developing a plan to channel proceeds from immobilized Russian assets into a Reparations Loan for Ukraine. The assets themselves will remain untouched, but their financial returns could help sustain Kyiv’s defense until Russia is forced to pay reparations.

G7 Unity and the Road Ahead

The EU stressed that these measures are coordinated with G7 partners under Canada’s presidency, ensuring maximum global impact. Europe, it said, has stood firmly with Ukraine “from the very beginning” and will continue deploying every tool available until Russia leaves the battlefield and negotiates a just peace.