Overview

• EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers would not adopt the package on Oct. 20 and signaled an expected decision at the Oct. 23 leaders' summit.
• Slovakia remains the sole blocker and has asked for leader-level discussion, with the European Commission expected to send a letter seeking to break the deadlock.
• Austria dropped its opposition on Oct. 18 after other governments rejected its push for compensation tied to Raiffeisen Bank International's Russia-related losses.
• The proposal includes a full EU import ban on Russian LNG starting in January 2027 and full transaction bans on state energy firms Rosneft and Gazpromneft.
• The package would also sanction 118 shadow‑fleet vessels, restrict crypto platforms and banks that facilitate evasion, and list 45 suppliers of dual‑use goods, with ministers discussing tighter enforcement against the shadow fleet.