Brussels Sidesteps Major Energy Restrictions in 19th EU Russia Sanctions Package
According to four European diplomats who wished to remain anonymous, the new package of sanctions does not impose significant restrictions on the sale of energy resources, which continue to finance Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Politico.
In June, the EU agreed on a series of measures targeting the Russian energy sector: lowering the price cap on oil, banning fuel produced from Russian crude oil, and adding companies associated with Nord Stream to the sanctions list. However, this has significantly limited the bloc's ability to exert further pressure on Moscow.
Experts believe that there is little room left for significant new sanctions on Russian oil in the future.
“The last sanctions package was a significant one for Russian oil, and we think there is little scope for further sanctions at this point,” said Ajay Parmar, a senior analyst at ICIS.
At the same time, as Maria Shagina, an expert on sanctions at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, notes that Russia's economy, which at first glance appears stable, is increasingly feeling the effects of Western pressure. Falling oil prices, problems in the military-industrial complex, the growing banking crisis, and high military spending are leading the country into recession. Among the factors exacerbating this process, she also mentioned sanctions against Russia's “shadow fleet.”
As The Gaze previously informed, Russia’s Central Bank has cautioned that the country’s economic growth may come to a halt as soon as late 2025, citing a range of domestic and external challenges.
New options for putting pressure on Russia are being considered in the EU, including restrictions on the freedom of movement of its diplomats within the Schengen area.
The initiators of this step emphasize that the current complete freedom makes it difficult to track Russian intelligence officers who may be preparing sabotage operations.
The issue of additional sanctions will be discussed at an informal summit of EU foreign ministers at the end of the week. A meeting with EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas is expected there, where attention will be paid to ways of further increasing economic pressure on Russia.
In addition, it is believed that Putin agreed to talks with Trump in Alaska after the US imposed high tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, which is critical for Moscow. The next step could be to strengthen similar sanctions against Russia's trade with China, and Trump seems to be leaving this option open in case the peace talks fail.
Read more on The Gaze: Sanctions vs. Russia’s Shadow Schemes in the Middle East