The EU confirmed that they had agreed on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the European Union has agreed on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia.

She wrote about this on the social network X.

According to the president, another 32 Russian banks will be included in the list of institutions subject to a ban on financial transactions. Sanctions will also affect cryptocurrency companies and oil trading platforms.

In addition, the EU is fixing a price cap mechanism for Russian oil for a year. Sanctions will also be imposed for the first time against vessels that help the Russian shadow fleet. Von der Leyen also claims that "the EU has taken an important step towards a formal ban on entry into the EU by Russian military personnel".

On the eve of the meeting, Babel sources told that the negotiations on the 21st package of sanctions were difficult. According to the interlocutors, the final work on the text is currently underway. The written approval procedure will be launched in the afternoon of July 23 and should be completed on the same day in order to have time to extend the "price ceiling" on Russian oil.

The package was previously blocked by Greece, which was against the ban on European companies transporting Russian LNG to third countries. The EU countries found a compromise: companies were temporarily allowed to fulfill only those LNG transportation contracts that they concluded before February 24, 2022.

At the same time, any expansion of such supplies for European operators has been banned, and the EU Council will review these rules every year. The FT previously specified that permission to transport Russian LNG, in particular, will be granted to the Greek shipping company Dynagas.

• Von der Leyen introduced the 21st package of sanctions against Russia in early June. The previous, 20th package of sanctions against Russia was approved on April 23. It became the most extensive in the last two years and covered the energy sector, the shadow fleet, the military-industrial complex and the trade and finance sector. Sanctions were also imposed against 60 companies and 120 people.

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