The EU adopted the 19th package of sanctions with a ban on LNG

The new sanctions package includes, in particular, a two-stage ban on imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia.

The EU has agreed on the 19th package of sanctions against Russia. A key element of the new package was a phased ban on imports of Russian LNG, Reuters reports.

The decision was made after Slovakia, which had previously blocked the agreement, lifted its objections. Bratislava demanded guarantees on energy prices and taking into account the interests of industry in the EU’s climate goals. A Slovak diplomat reported that the relevant requirements were included in the final text of the document, which allowed the written approval procedure to be launched.

The ban on imports of Russian LNG will take place in two stages: short-term contracts must expire within six months, and long-term ones by January 1, 2027. Thus, the bloc will stop purchasing Russian LNG a year earlier than envisaged in the previous roadmap.

In addition to energy sanctions, the new package includes travel restrictions for Russian diplomats and an expansion of the sanctions list of vessels, adding 117 more vessels, mostly tankers, to the so-called shadow fleet of Russia. The list now has a total of 558 vessels.

Several banks from Belarus and Kazakhstan have also been added to the sanctions list. According to diplomats, the EU also plans to impose restrictions on four Chinese organizations related to the oil refining industry, but their names have not yet been made public.

The US also imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies the day before, including Rosneft and Lukoil.