EU ambassadors approve the 15th package of sanctions against Russia

European Union ambassadors have approved the 15th package of sanctions in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Hungarian presidency of the EU Council wrote about the approval on X.

The 15th package targets entities in Russia and third countries that indirectly contribute to Russia’s military and technological strengthening by circumventing existing export restrictions.

The Hungarian presidency said that the sanctions would target ships from third nations supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and add more individuals and companies to the sanctions list.

The adopted sanctions restrict the activities of additional third-party vessels that engage in actions or policies aimed at facilitating or supporting Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine.

The 15th package stipulates the expansion of the sanctions list to encompass more individuals and entities. It is expected that further discussion of this package of sanctions will take place during the meeting of EU foreign ministers on December 16, Reuters reported.

The proposals to the 15th package, prepared by the European Commission for EU member states, include the addition of 29 legal entities and 54 individuals to the sanctions list.

New measures to combat Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which circumvents the price ceiling for oil transported by sea, have also been included. The new EU sanctions against Moscow will ban an additional 52 tankers from EU ports, raising the total number to 79 in a bid to block Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a group of old ships trading sanctioned oil products behind murky ownership structures.

The new sanctions package will also penalize individuals and companies accused of helping the Kremlin secure banned dual-use technologies. An EU diplomat in an interview with Politico said the sanctions will hit goods “contributing to Russia’s war machine” that are laundered to the Kremlin through third nations.

In response to information about their support for military production in Russia, it is expected that Chinese companies will appear on the EU sanctions list for the first time.