The list includes a pledge to further reduce Russian gas and oil imports, according to dpa
The European Union has agreed a new sanctions package on Moscow, including a pledge to further reduce imports of gas and oil, dpa reported on Wednesday.
According to Reuters sources in the EU, the package will list four companies involved in China’s oil industry that allegedly circumvent Western restrictions.
The final text was agreed upon by member states but had not been adopted yet owing to reservations from Slovakia “on unrelated matters,” Reuters wrote earlier on Wednesday. According to journalist Finbarr Bermingham, citing the Danish presidency, the final member state holdout has removed its veto. The formal approval is expected tomorrow morning.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the 19th package of sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, targeting “refiners, oil traders, [and] petrochemical companies in third countries, including China,” accused of helping Moscow bypass restrictions. Indian companies could also be targeted.
The package also proposes to ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas into EU markets, adds 118 vessels from what Brussels refers to a Russian “shadow fleet” to the blacklist, and places major Russian energy traders Rosneft and Gazpromneft under a full transaction embargo.
Russia has emerged as one of the largest suppliers of oil to China and India since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The two countries have pushed back against Western demands to reduce their reliance on Russian crude, citing domestic economic needs and national interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western nations against adopting a “colonial” tone toward China and India and trying to “punish” them for trading with Moscow.
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