EU Bans Russian LNG: A New Era of ‘Sanctions’? 🚫🌍

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The European Union, that paragon of moral clarity, on Wednesday saddled its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, a nation now reduced to a mere footnote in the grand narrative of global geopolitics. According to the Danish EU presidency, a fleeting beacon of… well, something.

The agreement, crafted in Brussels amid weeks of deliberation so profound it could have been mistaken for a religious rite, targets Moscow’s energy sector with a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. Meanwhile, trade and travel restrictions expand like a poorly kept secret.

Slovakia Drops Objection After EU Assurances

According to a Reuters report, Denmark, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, declared all 27 EU countries have now agreed to the package after Slovakia, ever the cautious diplomat, lifted its final objection. Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, had demanded guarantees from the European Commission about high energy prices and how new climate rules could affect local industries like carmakers and heavy manufacturing. A request so reasonable, it’s almost tragic.

After receiving written assurances, Slovakia dropped its objection, and allowed the sanctions to move forward. Officials said a written approval process is already underway, and the package will officially take effect by Thursday morning. Because nothing says “urgency” like a Thursday morning.

LNG Ban to Start in Two Phases

The LNG ban will unfurl in two stages, each more convoluted than the last. Short-term contracts will end in six months, while long-term contracts will stop completely on January 1, 2027. This timeline means the EU will stop buying Russian LNG one year earlier than the European Commission first planned. A triumph of foresight, or perhaps a case of “we’ll fix it later, we promise.”

“Sanctions have a real impact and are hitting the Russian economy. Moscow is facing increasing difficulties in financing its illegal war of aggression,” said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, a man whose optimism is as unshakable as a brick wall. Along with the LNG ban, the EU also added 117 ships from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” mostly oil tankers used to bypass oil restrictions. This brings the total number of sanctioned vessels to 558. A veritable armada of bureaucratic spite.

The package also lists several banks and companies in Kazakhstan and Belarus and four linked to China’s oil industry, including two refineries, a trading company, and another involved in helping Moscow evade restrictions. Their names will be published after formal adoption, according to EU diplomatic sources cited by Reuters. Because transparency is the cornerstone of the EU’s foreign policy, of course.

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2025-10-23 14:19