The European Union is preparing an 18th round of sanctions against Russia, aimed at tightening economic pressure and forcing Moscow toward a ceasefire, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday.
The upcoming package will include stricter measures such as lowering the oil price cap, targeting Russia’s financial sector, and imposing sanctions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. More tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet, used to export oil despite Western restrictions, will also be blacklisted.
This move comes just as the EU’s 27 member states approved the 17th sanctions package, which targets nearly 200 tankers helping Russia ship crude oil abroad. That package is expected to be officially adopted by EU defense ministers at a meeting next Tuesday.
Speaking at a summit of European leaders, von der Leyen said the new sanctions are designed to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into accepting a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and entering peace talks.
“Putin doesn’t want peace. So we have to increase the pressure,” von der Leyen said. “Now is the time to intensify the pressure until Putin is also ready for peace.”
A key element of the new measures is a revision of the price cap mechanism on Russian oil. Under current rules, shipments to non-EU countries can use Western insurance and financing if they are sold at or below $60 per barrel. While global benchmark prices have hovered near that threshold, Russia’s main export blend, Urals crude, has traded below the cap in recent weeks. This has allowed some shipments to continue with the help of Western firms.
The 18th sanctions package will also expand restrictions on Russia’s financial institutions, according to von der Leyen. The EU aims to maintain steady pressure as it seeks a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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