EU APPROVES ITS 17TH SANCTIONS PACKAGE AGAINST RUSSIA

Tue 20 May 2025:

The EU approved on Tuesday its 17th sanctions package against Russia.

“The EU has approved its 17th sanctions package against Russia, targeting nearly 200 shadow fleet ships,” the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on X.

She added that new measures also address “hybrid threats and human rights.”

Underlining that the bloc is working on more sanctions on Russia, Kallas said, “The longer Russia wages war, the tougher our response.”

Targeting Moscow’s economy to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Finalized by EU ambassadors, the package received formal approval from foreign ministers on May 20.

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It includes visa bans and asset freezes on senior Russian officials, export bans on chemicals used in weapons, and trade restrictions on companies aiding sanctions evasion. A key focus is Russia’s “shadow fleet,” with nearly 200 vessels, mostly oil tankers, blacklisted to curb energy exports bypassing Western price caps.

The sanctions also target 75 individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex and 30 firms involved in dual-use goods circumvention. Hungary and Slovakia, reliant on Russian energy, supported the package due to its limited scope, while Sweden and Finland need parliamentary approval.

The EU aims to weaken Russia’s war funding and push for peace talks, with plans for an 18th package already underway.

Earlier Monday, U.S. President Trump held a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

Trump said he believes that Putin wants to stop the war.

“I talked to him about it. I said: ‘When are we going to end this Vladimir?’…I said: ‘When are we going to end this bloodshed, this bloodbath?’ It’s a bloodbath, and I do believe he wants to end it,” he said.

Turning to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said he is a “strong person.”

“Zelenskyy, strong guy, and he’s not the easiest person to deal with, but I think that he wants to stop,” he added.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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