The European Council has extended sanctions against Russia for another six months - until 31 January 2026.
The reason is the Russian Federation's continued actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine.
The economic measures, first introduced in 2014, have been significantly expanded since February 2022. in response to Russia's unprovoked, unjustified and illegal military aggression against Ukraine, the Council said.
They currently consist of a wide range of sectoral measures, including restrictions on trade, finance, energy, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods. They also include: a ban on the import or transfer of offshore crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, the exclusion of several Russian banks from the SWIFT system, and the suspension of broadcasting activities and licenses in the European Union of several Kremlin-backed disinformation media outlets. In addition, specific measures enable the EU to counter the circumvention of sanctions.
As long as the illegal actions of the Russian Federation continue to violate fundamental rules of international law, including in particular the prohibition on the use of force, it is appropriate to maintain all measures imposed by the EU in force and to take additional measures if necessary, the Council underlines.
The European Union has so far adopted 17 packages of sanctions targeting the Russian government, as well as organisations and individuals supporting Russia's war against Ukraine.