EU’s 19th Sanctions Package to Target Russian Crypto, Banks and Energy, von der Leyen Says

The European Commission is preparing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, focusing on crypto assets, the banking sector and energy.

The Gaze reports this, referring to a post by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen announced the plan after what she described as a “good” phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. 

She said Brussels and Washington were coordinating to tighten economic pressure on Moscow.

“The Commission will soon present its 19th package of sanctions, targeting crypto, banks, and energy. Russia’s war economy, sustained by revenues from fossil fuels, is financing the bloodshed in Ukraine,” she wrote.

She added that the Commission would also propose accelerating the EU’s phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports.

The formal presentation of the sanctions package has been delayed, with discussions expected to conclude later this week. 

Media reports indicated the pause followed U.S. pressure on European partners to adopt tougher measures as a condition for Washington to impose its own sanctions.

Trump has said he is ready to enforce strict sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO members do the same and commit to halting purchases of Russian oil. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, urged the White House to take a “clear and firm position” on sanctions and security guarantees for Kyiv, arguing that stronger action is essential to stop the Kremlin and end the war.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine proposed a sweeping new package of sanctions designed to intensify economic pressure on Russia, including measures against more than 400 vessels in Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet” and tougher restrictions on oil trade.