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EU Set to Approve 19th Sanctions Package, Backs Zelenskyy–Putin Direct Peace Talks

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Cyril Barabaltchouk
News Writer
EU Set to Approve 19th Sanctions Package, Backs Zelenskyy–Putin Direct Peace Talks
EU Commission vice-president, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas talks to media in the Berlaymont, the EU Commission headquarter in Brussels, Belgium. (Source: Getty Images)

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she expects the bloc to approve its 19th package of sanctions against Russia this week, DW reported on October 20 ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

The sanctions package aims to tighten pressure on Moscow’s energy and financial sectors and accelerate Europe’s move away from Russian fossil fuels. It includes a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting January 1, 2027—one year earlier than previously planned—and new restrictions on Russian and Central Asian banks, Chinese oil refineries supplying Russian crude, and the use of cryptocurrencies to bypass sanctions.

The EU also plans to blacklist additional Russian tankers used in the country’s so-called shadow fleet, which is employed to evade oil restrictions.

According to a working document cited by DW, this fleet—estimated at between 600 and 1,400 vessels—poses “serious environmental and maritime safety risks,” as many ships operate with opaque ownership structures and little or no insurance. The paper warns that in the event of oil spills, taxpayers in coastal EU countries could be forced to bear cleanup costs.

Kallas emphasized that confronting Russia’s sanctions evasion networks is vital to curbing its war financing capacity. “These ships not only sustain Russia’s war economy but endanger global maritime safety,” she said. The EU ministers will also discuss long-term mechanisms to enforce sanctions compliance and prevent dual-use goods from reaching Russia through third countries.

Kallas added that she supports peace talks led directly by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, stressing that “only they can make decisions on ending the war,” DW wrote.

Previously, it was reported that the European Union is moving to use roughly $232 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets to secure sustainable funding for Ukraine as other financing sources wane. EU leaders aim to reach a political agreement at next week’s Brussels summit, after which the bloc’s executive will quickly draft a legal mechanism to release funds by mid-2026.

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