Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine will soon reach 1500 days. In the entire last year, Russian forces advanced on average between 15 and 70 metres per day.
They seized just about 0.8 percent of Ukraine's territory, despite the heaviest casualty rate suffered by any military offensive since the second World War.
While Ukraine continues to defend itself with extraordinary courage on the battlefield, the Kremlin is doubling down on war crimes, deliberately striking homes and civilian infrastructure. Energy facilities and heating systems have all been targeted, leaving entire communities without power in freezing temperatures.
This is not the conduct of a state seeking peace. It is the behaviour of a nation waging a war of attrition against an innocent civilian population.
As important peace talks are underway in Abu Dhabi, we must be clear-eyed: Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so. This is the only language Russia understands. That is why we are stepping up today. The Commission is putting forward a new package of sanctions - the 20th since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
The new package of sanctions covers energy, financial services and trade.
On energy, we introduce a full maritime services ban for Russian crude oil. It will slash further Russia's energy revenues and make it more difficult to find buyers for its oil. As shipping is a global business, we propose to enact this full ban in coordination with like-minded partners after a decision of the G7.
We are listing 43 more vessels part of the shadow fleet – reaching 640 in total. We also make it more difficult for Russia to acquire tankers to be used for the shadow fleet and add sweeping bans on provision of maintenance and other services for LNG tankers and icebreakers to further dent gas export projects. This complements our ban on LNG imports agreed with the 19th package and the RepowerEU Regulation.
Then, we present a second block of measures to further constrain Russia's banking system and its ability to create alternative payment channels to fund economic activity. This is Russia's weak point, and we are pressing hard on it.
We are listing 20 more Russian regional banks, and we will take measures against crypto currencies, companies trading them and platforms enabling crypto trade, to close an avenue for circumvention. We are also targeting several banks in third countries involved in facilitating illegal trade in sanctioned goods.
With the third block of measures, we tighten export restrictions to Russia with new bans on goods and services – from rubber to tractors and cybersecurity services, worth over €360 million.
We also introduce new import bans on metals, chemicals and critical minerals, not yet under sanctions, worth over €570 million. And we introduce further export restrictions on items and technologies used for Russia's battlefield effort, such as materials used to produce explosives. We propose a quota on ammonia to cap existing imports.
To show our determination to cut sanction evasion, we will activate for the first time the Anti-circumvention tool, by prohibiting the export of any computer numerical control machines and radios to jurisdictions where there is a high risk that these products are re-exported to Russia.
Finally, we propose stronger legal safeguards for EU companies to protect them from violations of their IP rights or from unfair expropriation in Russia due to abusive court rulings in connection with sanctions.
Russia's fiscal revenues from oil and gas dropped by 24% in 2025 compared to the previous year, the lowest level since 2020, widening its fiscal deficit. Oil and gas revenues in January will be the lowest since the war began. Interest rates stand at 16%, inflation remains high.
This confirms what we already knew; our sanctions work, and we will continue to use them until Russia engages in serious negotiations with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace.
I now call on the Member States to swiftly endorse these new sanctions. Doing so would send a powerful signal ahead of the grim 4th anniversary of this war: our commitment to a free and sovereign Ukraine is unwavering. And if anything, it grows stronger day by day, month by month, year by year.
We are sending hundreds of generators to keep the heat and lights on in homes, hospitals and shelters.
The Council has just adopted our €90 billion loan for Ukraine, ensuring it has the means to defend itself and remain strong under relentless Russian attacks.
Together with the United States and the Coalition of the Willing, we are advancing a peace plan that includes strong security guarantees for Ukraine.
And with our US partners, we are devising a plan for Ukraine's post-war recovery and long-term growth – a single, unified Prosperity Framework.
Across all these efforts runs one clear thread, one shared objective, one firm conviction: that Ukraine's security, prosperity, and free future lie at the heart of our Union. Photo by European Parliament from EU, Wikimedia commons.