The European Commission has presented its proposal for a new sanctions package against Moscow to the member states. The package includes a complete ban on the import of aluminum, which is set to take effect in a year. Additionally, 74 more Russian ships in the “shadow fleet” and 15 Russian banks are to be sanctioned.
The Commission is also targeting the export of gaming consoles, as these are allegedly used to control drones on the battlefield, according to the Commission. Notably, an import ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been left out of the proposal. The 16th sanctions package is expected to be approved by the end of February, marking the third anniversary of the Ukraine war.
The EU member states met about 6% of their raw and processed aluminum demand from Russian imports last year. Initially, the plan is to limit imports, with a complete ban to take effect a year later. However, experts believe that the Russian company Rusal may not face significant difficulties in diverting its products to Asia, as aluminum is a sought-after material in the production of electric vehicles.
The sanctions against the “shadow fleet” target old oil tankers with an owner structure deliberately obscured. Listed ships are banned from docking in EU ports and cannot benefit from services, including insurance, from EU companies. So far, almost 80 such ships have been placed on a black list, with the new proposal set to expand the list to over 150 ships. The US has previously sanctioned as many as 180 ships.
In December 2024, ten northern and eastern EU member states had called on the Commission to ban or gradually phase out LNG imports from Russia, with the latter reportedly earning over 8 billion euros in 2024. However, the resistance from importing countries appears to have been too great and the Commission has not included an LNG ban in the proposal. The Commission will present a plan in March to end imports by 2027.