Story perspectives

EU Broadens Sanctions, Caps Oil, Bars Ex-Russian Soldiers

6/9/2026

Summary

Ursula Bans Entry

Ursula von der Leyen calls for entry bans on those who served in Russian Armed Forces since February 2022.
The plan caps oil at $44 per barrel until January 2027 and adds 30 vessels to shadow fleet, total over 660.
The package expands sanctions to 31 Russian and 20 foreign banks, crypto and oil traders.
It targets Russian metals, ores and parts worth €60 million and bans Russian cod imports while restricting fish.

Summary

EU reshapes policy

EU pledged over €50 million emergency aid to Armenia after Russia restricted its exports.
Ireland assumes the EU Council Presidency this month, with Foreign Minister Helen McEntee saying Ukraine stays a focus.
Kaja Kallas warned a Hormuz Strait closure would disrupt economy, threaten food supplies, praising United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers and urging respect.
EU shifts sanctions from trade bans to targeting financial and logistical channels funding Russia’s war.

Summary

EU Faces Opposition

Greece and Malta opposed an EU ban on maritime services for Russian oil, slowing that sanctions element.
The proposal arrived while Brussels and New Delhi finalized the phase of a February-announced trade agreement.
EU foreign ministers will meet in Luxembourg on June 15, aiming to secure package before July 15 to avoid an oil-price-cap review.
Kaja Kallas is preparing a blacklist addition covering 80 individuals and organisations linked to Russia’s defence complex.

Summary

Kallas Backs Sanctions

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee that Ireland will back EU sanctions on Aughinish alumina if its product is proven to feed Russian weapons.
Aughinish supplies 30 % of Europe’s alumina and employs 500 staff.
The owners warn a sales cut could jeopardise the plant and raise costs on Ireland’s grid.
EU’s 21st sanctions package excluded Aughinish, citing fears sanctions could harm the EU more than Russia.

Summary

Kallas Expands Boarding

EU will align Belarus trade restrictions to block it as a backdoor for Russian commerce.
Operation IRINI can now board ships suspected of joining Russia’s shadow fleet under new Mediterranean rules.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced the expanded boarding authority in a briefing on the mission’s revised parameters.
The package needs unanimous approval by all 27 EU members before 15 July to avoid a price-cap review.

History

Historical Context

After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the EU—led by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—imposed its first comprehensive sanctions, freezing assets and cutting trade with dozens of banks. The bloc expanded the regime in 2022, adding oil-price caps, bans on shadow-fleet vessels and alumina exports. By March 2018 the EU already targeted 150 individuals and 38 companies, showing a pattern of escalating pressure.

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Ursula Bans Entry

Ursula von der Leyen calls for entry bans on those who served in Russian Armed Forces since February 2022.
The plan caps oil at $44 per barrel until January 2027 and adds 30 vessels to shadow fleet, total over 660.
The package expands sanctions to 31 Russian and 20 foreign banks, crypto and oil traders.
It targets Russian metals, ores and parts worth €60 million and bans Russian cod imports while restricting fish.

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