Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has imposed 17 rounds of sanctions aimed at disrupting Moscow’s financial and logistical ability to sustain the war. But the recently announced eighteenth package, unveiled by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, marks a notable evolution in both tone and tactic. It goes beyond general pressure and moves into surgical targeting—specifically of Russia’s energy lifelines and sanctions-evasion infrastructure.
The headline measure is a ban on all transactions related to the Nord Stream pipelines, effectively shutting the door on any future rehabilitation of this now-symbolic energy corridor between Russia and Europe. Though Nord Stream has been out of commission since 2022, the formalization of this ban is as political as it is economic. It signals that the EU sees no pathway back to business as usual—even if the war were to end tomorrow.
Alongside this comes a proposal to lower the oil price cap on Russian crude from $60 to $45 per barrel. That price ceiling, originally coordinated with G7 partners in 2023, was intended to limit Russian revenue without destabilizing global markets. But falling oil prices in recent months have eroded the cap’s effectiveness. This new adjustment attempts to restore pressure, even as Russia adapts by finding alternative buyers like China and India.
What truly distinguishes this sanctions package is its emphasis on the so-called “shadow fleet”—a sprawling network of unregistered or obscurely registered tankers that Russia uses to move oil while skirting sanctions. Brussels has already blacklisted over 300 vessels and now aims to add 77 more. It is a tactical move in what officials are calling a cat-and-mouse game, one that is increasingly focused on logistics rather than legality.
This incremental strategy—tightening enforcement, refining loopholes, and targeting revenue streams—is a shift from the broader sanctions of 2022 and 2023. It suggests that the EU no longer believes in a short-term impact approach, but rather in long-term economic attrition.
Despite criticism over whether sanctions are truly weakening Russia’s war effort, European leaders maintain that every package compounds the pressure. As von der Leyen put it, “Strength is the only language that Russia will understand.” Whether that strategy translates into meaningful political concessions remains uncertain. What is clear is that sanctions are evolving—not just in intensity, but in sophistication.