The European Union has officially extended sectoral economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, until January 31, 2026.
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, reported this on the social network X.
EU extends sanctions against Russia
Kallas stressed that pressure on Russia will continue until the war unleashed against Ukraine ends.
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“Every sanction weakens Russia’s ability to wage war,” Kallas emphasized.
The EU's sectoral sanctions include restrictions in the financial, energy, defence and technological sectors.
These economic measures were first introduced in 2014 but significantly expanded since February 2022 in response to Russia's unprovoked, unjustified and illegal military aggression against Ukraine.
They currently consist of a wide range of sectoral measures, including restrictions on trade, finance, energy, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods.
They also include a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne shipments of crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, the disconnection of several Russian banks from the SWIFT system, and the suspension of broadcasting and European Union licenses of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets.
In addition, specific measures enable the EU to counteract the circumvention of sanctions.
The decision marked the formal conclusion of a process that began on June 26, when European Union leaders reached a political agreement to extend sanctions against Russia for another six months.
At that time, they were unable to agree on approval of a new package of restrictions.
Earlier, the European Council confirmed long-term financial support for Ukraine in the amount of more than €30 billion.
