EU Moves to Ban Russian LNG, Target Shadow Fleet
Von der Leyen pushes bloc to choke Russia's energy exports.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on the 27 EU member states to swiftly approve a sweeping new sanctions package targeting Russia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, its shadowy fleet of aging oil tankers, and key energy giants. Speaking in a video statement on September 19, 2025, von der Leyen declared, “It is time to turn off the tap” on LNG, emphasizing that these measures are essential to force Moscow to the negotiation table and pave the way for peace.
The proposed sanctions, part of the bloc's 19th package against Russia, would prohibit all Russian LNG imports by January 2027, a move that could significantly disrupt Russia's energy revenues, which fuel its military spending. Europe, the largest buyer of Russian LNG—accounting for about half of Moscow's exports and 16% of the EU's total LNG imports last year—stands to reshape its energy landscape dramatically. However, opposition from landlocked nations like Hungary and Slovakia, which rely heavily on Russian supplies, could delay or derail the plan, potentially extending negotiations for weeks.
Von der Leyen highlighted the effectiveness of existing sanctions, which have already targeted over 2,500 entities, including banks, officials like President Vladimir Putin, lawmakers, and oligarchs through travel bans and asset freezes. She pointed to Russia's "overheated war economy" buckling under constant high inflation as evidence of progress. The new proposals expand this pressure by adding 118 vessels from Russia's "shadow fleet" to the blacklist—bringing the total to over 560—and imposing full transaction bans on major players like Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, alongside asset freezes for others.
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The package also aims to crack down on sanctions evaders, targeting refineries, oil traders, petrochemical firms, and even third countries like China that purchase Russian oil in violation of EU rules. Export restrictions would further limit 45 companies in Russia and beyond for supplying technologies to the Russian military-industrial complex, starving the battlefield of critical resources.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reinforced the urgency, stressing the need for a "full prohibition" on Russian LNG and introducing measures to simplify prosecutions against those involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children—a war crime that has drawn global outrage since 2022. "Tearing children from their families and deporting them to re-education camps is beyond description. We will not let Russia weaponise childhood itself," Kallas posted on social media, underscoring the human cost of the conflict.
As the EU weighs these proposals, the stakes couldn't be higher: curbing Russia's energy lifeline could hasten an end to the invasion, but internal divisions threaten to blunt the bloc's resolve. Member states must now decide whether to tighten the noose or risk prolonging the agony in Ukraine.
