European Commission puts forward 20th package of sanctions against Russia 

On 6 February, the European Commission put forward a new package of sanctions against Russia – the 20th since the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine. The new package of sanctions covers energy, financial services and trade.

“Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so. This is the only language Russia understands,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The Commission suggests introducing a full maritime services ban for Russian crude oil to diminish Russia’s energy revenues and make it more difficult to find buyers for its oil.

The EU is also to list 43 more vessels part of the shadow fleet, reaching 640 in total. The Commission also suggests making it more difficult for Russia to acquire tankers to be used for the shadow fleet and adds sweeping bans on provision of maintenance and other services for LNG tankers and icebreakers to further dent gas export projects.

The Commission also presented a second block of measures to further constrain Russia’s banking system and its ability to create alternative payment channels to fund economic activity. “This is Russia’s weak point, and we are pressing hard on it,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

The new package lists 20 more Russian regional banks and takes measures against crypto currencies, companies trading them and platforms enabling crypto trade, to close an avenue for circumvention. Several banks in third countries involved in facilitating illegal trade in sanctioned goods are also targeted.

The Commission also proposes to tighten export restrictions to Russia with new bans on goods and services – from rubber to tractors and cybersecurity services, worth over €360 million.

The package will also introduce new import bans on metals, chemicals and critical minerals, not yet under sanctions, worth over €570 million. Further export restrictions on items and technologies used for Russia’s battlefield effort, such as materials used to produce explosives, are also envisaged. The commission also proposed a quota on ammonia to cap existing imports.

To show its determination to cut sanction evasion, the Commission proposes to activate for the first time the Anti-circumvention tool, by prohibiting the export of any computer numerical control machines and radios to jurisdictions where there is a high risk that these products are re-exported to Russia.

Finally, the Commission proposed stronger legal safeguards for EU companies to protect them from violations of their IP rights or from unfair expropriation in Russia due to abusive court rulings in connection with sanctions.

“Russia’s fiscal revenues from oil and gas dropped by 24% in 2025 compared to the previous year, the lowest level since 2020, widening its fiscal deficit. Oil and gas revenues in January will be the lowest since the war began. Interest rates stand at 16%, inflation remains high,” von der Leyen said. “This confirms what we already knew; our sanctions work, and we will continue to use them until Russia engages in serious negotiations with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace.”

She also called on the Member States to swiftly endorse the new sanctions.

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Press release