On 9 June 2026, the European Commission presented a proposal for a 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The proposal has not yet been adopted and still requires unanimous approval by the EU Member States in the Council. The proposed measures aim to further increase economic pressure on Russia by targeting sectors that are considered critical to sustaining its war economy.
Key areas of focus
The draft package concentrates on several high-impact areas:
- Energy
The Commission proposes to maintain pressure on Russian energy revenues while taking account of recent market volatility. In this context, it suggests temporarily suspending adjustments to the oil price cap mechanism. At the same time, additional action is envisaged against the so-called “shadow fleet”, including the listing of further vessels and measures targeting entities that support their operations. Also, the measures include a designation of additional third-country oil refiners and oil traders.
- Financial sector and crypto-assets
The proposal would extend existing financial restrictions, including additional transaction bans affecting a number of Russian banks. It also foresees measures against actors in third countries, such as banks and crypto platforms, that are believed to facilitate circumvention of EU sanctions.
- Trade restrictions
Further export controls are proposed on goods and technologies relevant to Russia’s military and industrial capacity, including certain metals and alloys used in the aerospace and defence sectors, and drone-related equipment. In addition, new import restrictions are envisaged for selected categories of goods, including certain metal products and automotive components. The proposed measures form part of a broader import ban package covering goods worth around €60 million ($69.2m), including certain metals, metal ores and automotive parts.
Additional elements
The proposal also introduces several new measures compared to earlier sanctions packages:
- The package also introduces sanctions on fisheries for the first time, including substantial restrictions on certain fish products and complete bans on others, including cod. In parallel, the Commission aims to align restrictions applicable to Belarus more closely with those on Russia, in order to address the risk of Belarus being used as a circumvention channel. The inclusion of fisheries-related measures marks a new sectoral focus.
- A proposed entry ban targeting current and former Russian military personnel.
- The possibility of imposing a complete ban on certain crypto-asset services provided from third countries where these are used to circumvent sanctions.
Finally, it is important to note that President von der Leyen mentioned in her statement on the 21st sanctions package that the EU will be aligning trade restrictions for Belarus.
Next steps
The proposed 21st sanctions package is currently under discussion within the EU legislative process. As with previous sanctions measures, adoption requires unanimous agreement by all Member States. Unofficially 15 July 2026 has been mentioned as an intended date for implementation. The European Commission has indicated that the overarching objective remains to further limit Russia’s ability to finance its military activities, in particular by reducing energy revenues and addressing sanction circumvention channels.
For detailed information on the previous 19 packages of restrictive measures against Russia, please see: EU sanctions measures against Russia.
This publication is provided for your convenience and does not constitute legal advice.
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