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Rabat – The European Union (EU) has adopted its 19th package of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine, introducing new measures that include a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.
The decision came as EU leaders gathered today in Brussels for a summit focused on reaffirming support for Kyiv and advancing plans to use frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s recovery.
The new sanctions package bans Russian LNG imports to Europe, with short-term contracts ending in six months and long-term contracts banned from January 1, 2027. The move aims further to reduce the bloc’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels, a goal the EU has been pursuing since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The package also targets 117 additional Russian vessels — mainly oil tankers — accused of helping Moscow bypass existing sanctions. This brings the total number of sanctioned Russian ships to 558.
In addition, two Chinese refineries, Liaoyang Petrochemical and Shandong Yulong Petrochemical, alongside the trading company Chinaoil Hong Kong, have been included on the sanctions list for their cooperation with Russia.
EU leaders also endorsed a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to finance a €140 billion “reparation loan” to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the Brussels summit, urged European countries to approve the plan quickly, saying Ukraine needs the funds by the end of the year and should have flexibility in how to use them.
EU Council President Antonio Costa confirmed that the bloc will cover Ukraine’s financial needs for 2026 and 2027.
Russia condemns the EU’s move
Moscow reacted sharply to the EU’s new sanctions. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the LNG ban “self-destructive,” arguing that Europe lacks sufficient energy reserves and will face growing demand due to the rise of artificial intelligence and digital industries.
The EU is acting like a “zombie,” unable to understand the damage it is inflicting on its own interests, Zakharova said.
Alongside the EU’s sanctions, US President Donald Trump also officially imposed new sanctions yesterday following failed talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in August at a summit in Alaska, where sanctions were up in the air.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev also criticized this move by the US as well as the EU, arguing Washington was “on the warpath” with Moscow after President Donald Trump canceled a planned summit in Budapest and imposed new sanctions.
“The decisions taken are an act of war against Russia. Trump has fully aligned himself with loony Europe,” Medvedev said on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Zelensky welcomed the latest US and EU energy sanctions, describing them as “very important” and expressing hope they would bring Russia closer to ending the war. He ruled out any territorial concessions, saying peace would only be possible through continued pressure on Moscow.
