The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen issued a statement today summarizing the list of proposals for additional sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, BTA writes.
The Commission proposes to expand sanctions in the areas of energy, financial services and trade. A complete ban on maritime services related to Russian crude oil, imposed in coordination with the G-7 countries, is proposed. It is planned to make it difficult for Russia to acquire tankers for the so-called shadow fleet and to prohibit the provision of maintenance and other services for tankers and icebreakers for liquefied natural gas.
Another 20 Russian regional banks have been added and measures related to cryptocurrencies are proposed. Restrictions are planned on exports to Russia of goods and services - from rubber to tractors and cybersecurity services, worth over 360 million euros, explains Von der Leyen. Regarding imports, a ban on metals, chemicals and essential minerals worth over 570 million euros is proposed, as well as the introduction of a quota for ammonia.
We will activate the anti-circumvention tool for the first time by banning the export of all digital control machines and radio stations to jurisdictions where there is a high risk that these goods will be exported to Russia, the Commission President said. We are offering stronger legal guarantees for EU companies to protect them from infringements of their intellectual property rights or unfair expropriation in Russia due to abuse of sanctions court rulings, added von der Leyen.
The Russian offensive against Ukraine will soon reach 1,500 days, with Russian forces advancing an average of between 15 and 70 metres per day over the past year, she noted. Russian forces have captured only around 0.8 percent of Ukraine’s territory, despite suffering the highest casualty rate since World War II. While Ukraine continues to defend itself with extraordinary courage on the battlefield, the Kremlin is doubling down on its war crimes by deliberately targeting homes and civilian infrastructure. Energy facilities and heating networks have been destroyed, entire communities have been left without electricity in sub-zero temperatures, she pointed out.
This is not the behaviour of a country seeking peace. This is the behavior of a nation that is waging a war of attrition against innocent civilians, says von der Leyen. As important peace talks continue in Abu Dhabi, we must be clear: Russia will only come to the negotiating table with real intentions if it is pressured to do so. This is the only language Russia understands, she added, referring to today’s proposal to extend sanctions.
Von der Leyen reported that Russia’s oil and gas revenues fell by 24 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, the lowest level since 2020, leading to a widening fiscal deficit. Oil and gas revenues in January will be the lowest since the start of the war, interest rates are 16 percent, inflation remains high, she notes.
This confirms that the sanctions are working and we will continue to use them until Russia starts serious negotiations with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace, Von der Leyen said. She called on EU countries to quickly support today's proposal.