Overview

• The European Commission’s proposal would end EU purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas by January 1, 2027, introducing the bloc’s first gas-focused sanction.
• The package expands anti-evasion efforts by blacklisting 118 additional shadow‑fleet tankers, targeting crypto platforms, banks, refineries and traders, and imposing full transaction bans on Rosneft and Gazprom Neft.
• It adds new export restrictions on battlefield technologies and lists more than 45 firms in Russia and third countries accused of aiding the Russian military‑industrial base.
• Adoption still needs unanimous approval from all 27 member states, with Hungary and Slovakia viewed as potential veto risks due to existing pipeline oil exemptions.
• Separately, EU officials are weighing majority‑vote trade tools to curb Druzhba pipeline flows, as President Donald Trump presses Europe to sever energy ties and Ukraine welcomes faster, tougher measures.