The European Union is preparing its most expansive sanctions package against Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt on Sunday.
“EU sanctions have already cost Russia dearly, depriving Russia’s war machine of over one trillion euros, and for autumn I am putting forward the most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war,” Kallas said. She added that once adopted, the measures would “immediately raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third.”
22nd Package Builds on July Measures
The upcoming 22nd sanctions round would follow the package approved in July, which imposed restrictions on Russia’s banking sector and cryptocurrency networks. That earlier round targeted 218 individuals and entities, including more than 100 banks and crypto operators, over 40 vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet, and several oil refineries.
Kallas did not elaborate on the precise timing or specific targets of the new autumn package. However, she stressed that “the pressure must keep growing until Moscow ends its war,” signaling that the EU views current sanctions as insufficient to force a negotiated settlement.
Sanctions Architecture Under Pressure
The EU has imposed 21 rounds of sanctions on Russia since February 2022, progressively tightening restrictions across energy, finance, trade, and individual asset freezes. The bloc’s sanctions architecture has targeted Russian banks, oligarchs, state-owned enterprises, and export-controlled technologies.
Despite these efforts, Russia continues to generate significant revenue from oil and gas exports, particularly through shadow fleet operations and intermediary countries. Ukrainian officials have long argued that the existing sanctions regime leaves critical loopholes that allow Moscow to sustain its war economy.
The planned escalation comes as the Strait of Hormuz crisis disrupts global energy markets and as the US-Iran ceasefire expires, adding further complexity to European energy security calculations. Western allies are under growing pressure to demonstrate that economic pressure on Moscow remains a viable strategy alongside military support for Ukraine.
Germany’s Die Welt, where Kallas made the remarks, is one of the country’s most widely read newspapers and a regular platform for senior EU officials to signal major policy shifts. The interview suggests that internal EU deliberations on the 22nd package are well advanced, with political agreement potentially achievable before the end of the year.
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