The European Union countries have decided to extend sanctions against Russians involved in the Russian invasion of Ukraine for another 6 months. In addition, the European Commission is finalizing work on a new, 19th package of sanctions against Russia.
This was announced by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas in X.
"We will continue to cut off Putinʼs war access to money," Kallas said.
The previous decision to impose sanctions against Russians involved in the war expires on September 15 — it was last extended in March 2025. At the same time, at the request of Hungary, the former head of one of the largest mineral fertilizer producers “Eurochem” Vladimir Rashevsky, the sister of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov — Gulbahor Ismailova — , businessman Vyacheslav Moshe Kantor, as well as the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Mikhail Dehtyarev, were excluded from the sanctions list.
For the decision to take effect, it must be agreed upon by all EU member states. Radio Liberty, citing EU diplomats, writes that Hungary and Slovakia are demanding the removal of six Russians from the EU sanctions list — businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, oligarchs Dmitry Mazepin, Petr Aven, Musa Bazhaev, and Albert Avdolyan. Otherwise, the countries will not support the extension of the sanctions at all.
- On July 18, the European Union adopted the 18th package of sanctions against Russia — 14 people and 41 organizations were hit by restrictions. The sanctions concern the energy and banking sectors, the military industry, and enterprises in Belarus and China.
- In particular, the EU lowered the ceiling price for Russian crude oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel — Ukraine has repeatedly said that this is necessary.
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