By Anietie anii-bassey
The European Union’s executive branch unveiled a fresh round of proposed sanctions against Russia on Friday, aiming to squeeze Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine by striking at oil shipments, banking channels and key areas of trade that officials say remain critical to the Kremlin’s economic resilience.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the new package reflects growing impatience in European capitals over the pace of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and a belief that tougher economic pressure is needed to force meaningful negotiations.
“Even as discussions continue, we must be clear-eyed,” von der Leyen said. “Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so.”
At the center of the proposal is a ban on shipping services that support Russia’s oil exports, a move designed to curb one of the country’s most important sources of revenue. The measure would require approval from the EU’s 27 member states, but von der Leyen argued that cutting off maritime services such as transport, insurance and logistics would further shrink Moscow’s income from energy sales and complicate efforts to find buyers for its crude.
Oil exports have long underpinned Russia’s economy, providing the cash flow that allows President Vladimir Putin’s government to sustain high levels of military spending while limiting the impact on consumer prices and stabilizing the ruble. EU officials say targeting the maritime network that moves Russian oil, including vessels operating outside formal Western markets, could significantly disrupt those earnings.
Von der Leyen urged that the shipping restrictions be coordinated with the Group of Seven leading industrial nations and other international partners to maximize their impact.
She also called for expanded action against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a network of aging tankers and opaque shipping arrangements that Western governments say is used to circumvent existing sanctions and price caps. Dozens more vessels, she said, should be added to blacklists.
EU ambassadors are scheduled to begin debating the proposals on Monday, starting what could be weeks of negotiations among national governments over the scope and timing of the measures.
The bloc has already approved 19 separate sanctions packages since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, targeting individuals, banks, energy exports, technology transfers and industrial goods. Reaching unanimity among all member states, however, has often proved difficult and time-consuming.
European officials are aiming to have the new sanctions formally adopted by Feb. 23, one day before the fourth anniversary of the invasion, underscoring what Brussels hopes will be a renewed show of unity and resolve.
Beyond oil shipments, the Commission is proposing to intensify restrictions on Russia’s financial sector, particularly efforts by banks and state institutions to build alternative payment systems that could blunt the impact of earlier penalties.
“This is Russia’s weak point, and we are pressing hard on it,” von der Leyen said, arguing that choking off access to financing and cross-border transactions would make it more difficult for Moscow to sustain its war economy.
The package would also widen trade bans to cover additional goods and services viewed as strategically important. Among the newly targeted items are rubber products, tractors and cybersecurity services, while fresh import prohibitions would apply to metals, chemicals and certain critical minerals not yet subject to EU restrictions.
Together, the proposals signal that Brussels is seeking to close loopholes that have allowed Russia to adapt to earlier sanctions, while reinforcing its support for Ukraine through economic pressure rather than direct military involvement.
Whether the full set of measures survives negotiations among the 27 governments remains uncertain, but EU officials said the scale of the package reflects a determination to keep tightening the screws on Moscow as the war grinds into its fourth year.
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