Overview

• Brussels proposes to end EU purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas by 1 January 2027, accelerating the phase-out of remaining imports.
• An additional 118 tankers tied to the sanctions-busting shadow fleet would be blacklisted, bringing the total to roughly 560 vessels.
• For the first time, EU measures would cover cryptocurrency platforms used to launder funds, alongside tighter banking curbs and new export bans on battlefield technologies and drones.
• Rosneft and Gazprom Neft would be placed under a full transaction ban, and enforcement would target refineries and traders in third countries that buy Russian oil in breach of sanctions.
• The proposal could take weeks to clear as it requires unanimity, Hungary and Slovakia’s Druzhba exemption remains a key sticking point, and Kyiv has welcomed both the package and progress on using revenues from frozen Russian assets.