The European Union has reached political agreement on the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, after the last member state lifted its objection. The Danish presidency of the Council of the EU officially announced this.
According to available sources, Slovakia confirmed its readiness to support the package, after which the written procedure for formal adoption began. The document is expected to come into effect by 8:00 a.m. on October 23 if there are no new objections.
The diplomat said that Slovakia’s lifting of its objections became possible because all of its demands regarding CO2, ETS2, and high energy prices were taken into account in the conclusions of the European Council.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he would skip the Ukraine discussion at the EU leaders’ summit on October 23 due to celebrations marking the anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He asked Prime Minister Fico to represent Hungary’s interests at the meeting.
Key Provisions of the 19th Package of Sanctions
Among the main points are a ban on the import of Russian liquefied natural gas to EU markets from January 2027; a full ban on transactions for Rosneft and Gazprom Neft; sanctions against 118 ships of the “shadow fleet”; expanded oversight of traders.
In the financial and cryptocurrency spheres, sanctions are imposed on crypto platforms and cryptocurrency transfers; the Mir payment system is banned for foreign banks; additional restrictions for banks that help circumvent the sanctions. Also, 45 companies in Russia and other countries are blacklisted, with a focus on exporting technologies for drone production.
Timeline of Countries’ Positions and Events
On September 26 Slovakia voiced objections to certain package provisions, particularly in the energy and automotive sectors. However, on October 22 Fico announced support for the sanctions package.