The EU expects a new sanctions push against Russia under Poland’s presidency

The EU is expecting to revive discussions and decisions on strengthening sanctions against Russia from the beginning of 2025, when Poland takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Politico has reported this, citing its sources.

Poland ready to promote sanctions policy during its EU presidency

Starting January 1, 2025, Hungary, Moscow’s closest ally in the EU, will have to cede control of political discussions to Poland, which will be fully prepared to promote sanctions policy.

Warsaw has already made it clear that it wants to use its six-month presidency to tighten control over Russian fuel entering the EU.

“Imports of Russian energy are growing. This is a negative sign. We have to solve this problem,” Krzysztof Bolesta, Poland’s Minister of Climate and Environment, said earlier at a ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.

Warning about the “increase in Russian LNG imports” to the EU

There is considerable support for the initiative to achieve greater transparency in the supply of Russian fuel to the continent. Ten countries, including France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, and the three Baltic states, recently issued a joint warning about the “increase in Russian LNG imports” to the EU, citing the lack of proper identification of these natural gas suppliers.

Politico has seen the document, which calls for stricter checks on the origin of gas entering the EU. This proposal is likely to be considered by the Polish presidency in January.

This issue is likely to be on the agenda because there are few major sanctions left to consider besides LNG. Instead, we anticipate that future sanctions packages will focus on combating the circumvention of existing sanctions on Russia.

Any new sanctions will also have to overcome the Hungarian opposition, even if Budapest no longer holds the EU Council presidency, as the EU needs unanimity to adopt them.

Ukraine’s hopes

Ukraine has expressed optimism that Poland will be able to resume negotiations on EU sanctions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a meeting of European leaders last week, where EU member states pledged to “further limit Russia’s ability to wage war, including through further sanctions.”

Earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha urged European allies to bolster sanctions and export controls following the discovery of newly manufactured Western components in a North Korean missile, which Russia used to attack Ukraine and which Ukrainian air defense forces shot down.

UK: new and largest package of sanctions against Russia’s “shadow fleet”

The United Kingdom announced the largest package of sanctions against Russia’s “shadow fleet.” According to the British government’s press service, the new sanctions affect 18 Russian oil tankers and four liquefied natural gas tankers. This is the largest sanction action against Vladimir Putin’s “shadow fleet” to date.

“A further 18 ships of the ‘shadow fleet’ will be denied access to UK ports and will not be able to use leading UK maritime services, bringing the total number of oil tankers sanctioned to 43,” the statement said.

The oil tankers targeted by the new sanctions have transported approximately $4.9 billion worth of crude oil in the past year alone.

To avoid the British sanctions, Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company, has been forced to try to rename its vessels. New UK sanctions target even more of its vessels.

US: call for tightening sanctions against Russia’s oilfield services industry

Meanwhile, the US Congress is demanding tougher anti-Russian sanctions in the oilfield services sector. A bipartisan coalition in the US Congress is demanding that the Biden administration tighten sanctions against Russia’s oilfield services industry, arguing that current rules allow a major US firm, SLB, to fuel Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

According to The Financial Times, members of Congress have also asked the Treasury Department and the State Department to explain whether the Biden administration authorized transactions in which Houston-based SLB, better known by its old name Schlumberger, imported $17.5 million worth of equipment to Russia between August and December last year. SLB is the world’s largest oilfield services company.

The congressional demands come after an August investigation by the Financial Times revealed that SLB has continued to expand its operations in Russia, taking advantage of the withdrawal of Western competitors, despite international sanctions in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.