In a statement, the EU Council announced the adoption of this sanctions package, which for the first time will include restrictions on the import of Russian liquefied natural gas to EU countries and also its passage to third countries, damaging a "significant source of revenue " that the Kremlin uses to foment conflict.
With the adoption of these restrictions, an additional 116 people and organizations are now sanctioned, which means that they are prevented from accessing assets they have in European countries and prohibited from traveling to any Member State.
The EU has also put in place measures to prevent circumvention of sanctions by Moscow, requiring companies based in one of the 27 to ensure that their subsidiaries and companies with which they work on an outsourcing basis do not participate in commercial or other activities that end up facilitate the circumvention of sanctions.
The EU has been reducing imports of Russian gas (which arrives via pipeline), going from a dependence of 40% in 2021 to 8% in 2023, but imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia have been increasing, in an important sector for the country's economy, which generates almost eight billion euros annually.
The EU Council also banned European companies from transacting with financial and cryptocurrency institutions that continue to work with Russia and promote the defense industry of the country that invaded Ukraine.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24, 2022, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since the Second World War (1939-1945).
