Sweden and Finland have urged the EU to use its next sanctions package to impose a full ban on servicing ships carrying Russian energy.
The EU is preparing its 20th package of sanctions against Russia ahead of the anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Stockholm and Helsinki’s proposal could deal a significant blow to the Kremlin’s energy revenues, reports Euractiv, citing European diplomats.
The two Scandinavian countries want to bar vessels carrying Russian oil, gas and coal from all categories of services in the EU, including transport, transshipment, insurance and repairs at European ports.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the measures should cover the entire chain of maritime operations so traders of Russian energy can no longer use EU infrastructure.
She added that the restrictions should be comprehensive and leave no loopholes for circumvention via third countries or gray channels.
In addition, the 20th sanctions package may include a sharp reduction in quotas for importing Russian fertilizers, as well as higher tariffs on all goods and services that still enter the EU from Russia. Brussels aims to curb financial flows feeding the aggressor’s economy and its war machine.
A separate proposal would fully ban the export of luxury goods to Russia. Malmer Stenergard said that while such items are not decisive for military production, they carry important symbolic weight.
“Such shipments should be halted on moral grounds. You cannot allow a country to violate European values and at the same time enjoy exclusive goods from the EU,” the minister said.
In Kyiv, officials see these steps as another key lever of pressure on the Kremlin, noting that revenues from oil, gas and coal exports remain among the main sources funding Russian aggression. The harder it is for Moscow to ship its energy, the fewer resources the regime will have to continue the war.
