New EU sanctions package against Russia may include restrictions on Georgian port

The draft of the 20th package of sanctions of the European Union against Russia includes an evidence base and sanctions against the Georgian port of Kulevi.

This was stated by the German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer in Tbilisi, Інтерфакс.Interfax reports.

According to him, the 20th package of sanctions included the port of Kulevi (Georgia). This was a legislative proposal in the European Union.

“When a legislative proposal on the introduction of sanctions appears in the European Union, it is accompanied by a package of evidence. Yesterday we were supposed to adopt the 20th package of sanctions, which was quite large and included new measures against Russian oil, against ports that accept Russian oil, as well as against ports that accept tankers of the Russian “shadow fleet”. We were unable to adopt this package because Hungary and Slovakia vetoed it,” the ambassador noted.

In turn, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pavlo Gerchinsky, stated that the EU had received from the Georgian authorities the information they had promised regarding the Kulevi port.

“I can confirm that we have received from the Georgian authorities very detailed information regarding the infrastructure that concerns us (the Kulevi port – ed. note). We have also been assured that this infrastructure will not be used to circumvent sanctions,” added Pavlo Gerchinsky.

He also added that he could not yet say whether the information and evidence provided were sufficient for the EU member states not to impose sanctions against this particular infrastructure.

In particular, on February 19, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, stated that the Georgian oil terminal in Kulevi was not being used to circumvent Western sanctions against the Russian Federation. “

Earlier, the Georgian Prime Minister stated that the Georgian authorities are ready for consultations with the EU on sanctions regarding the port of Kulevi, where the oil terminal of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is located and the construction of the first oil refinery in Georgia is underway.

According to Georgian media, at the end of 2025, oil supplies from Russia to the oil terminal in Kulevi were resumed, from where it was transported to the new terminal of the Kulevi refinery. At the same time, Reuters reported that the Georgian refinery began processing oil from the Russian company Rusneft.

As previously reported by USM, some EU countries oppose certain points of the sanctions package against Russia. Some of them are cautious about the idea of ​​imposing sanctions against ports in Georgia and Indonesia.