EU moving to ban Russian LNG imports – EU Commission President
Photo: Ursula von der Leyen (GettyImages)
The European Union is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia, which will include tough restrictions on energy, financial services, and trade, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to her, the key element will be a ban on Russian LNG imports.
"Our sanctions are working. Russia's GDP is projected to slow down, from 4.3% in 2024 to 0.9% in 2025. We need to increase the pressure," she stresses.
At the same time, von der Leyen announced that the EU and Ukraine had agreed to allocate €2 billion to the development of drone production. She also put forward the idea of a reparations loan based on frozen Russian assets, which would be provided in tranches and used in part for purchases in Europe.
"Importantly, there is no seizing of the assets. Ukraine has to repay the loan, if Russia is paying reparations. The perpetrator must be held responsible," the head of the European Commission notes.
Sanctions against Russia
On September 19, the European Commission presented the 19th package of sanctions against Russia for discussion by EU member states. Among other things, it stipulated the refusal of Russian gas until January 1, 2027.
Subsequently, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Budapest opposes EU sanctions and restrictions on oil supplies from Russia. He noted that such a decision could jeopardize the country's energy security.
Realizing that pro-Russian Hungary and Slovakia would try to block new sanctions, the European Commission proposed approving new sanctions against Russia by a majority vote of EU member states, rather than by the traditional unanimous approval. So far, this workaround only applies to Hungary.
