The package is presented by the chairman in a brief statement on Friday afternoon.
Europe is increasing the pressure. We prohibit the import of Russian LNG. We are ready, says von der Leyen.
In parallel, Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas writes on X that it is about speeding up the phasing out of Russian gas that has already been proposed and which the Commission now wants to implement from January 1, 2027.
The message is given at the same time as the EU countries' ambassadors get their first look at the content in an extraordinary meeting in Brussels.
The Shadow Fleet
The LNG measures come after US President Donald Trump last week urged all NATO countries to stop importing Russian oil. His energy minister has also talked about stopping gas imports.
The sanctions package also includes measures against a further 118 vessels suspected of belonging to the so-called shadow fleet. The EU Commission is also acting against more Russian banks, Russian cryptocurrency handling and more companies in other countries - not least in China - which are considered to be helping Russia to circumvent previous sanctions.
– We are targeting refineries, oil traders and petrochemical companies in third countries - including China, says von der Leyen.
Requires Agreement
The EU base is also warning of a "new solution" to finance Ukraine's defense efforts with the help of the multi-billion amounts in Russian state assets that have been frozen in Europe. With the help of the claims on the assets, Ukraine will be offered a reconstruction loan, where the EU countries collectively bear the risk and where Ukraine will only have to start paying back when Russia starts paying for the repairs.
In the usual order, all EU countries must now agree on the package before it can come into force.
