10th package
Over the weekend, Bjorn Seibert, the Chief of Staff to Ursula von der Leyen, briefed EU ambassadors on the substance of the tenth sanctions round targeting Russia. The briefing, cited by Politico, indicated that the draft would be reviewed by national experts and ambassadors in the coming days.
The draft outlines plans to impose new financial restrictions on four Russian banks, among them Alfa Bank, described as Russia’s largest private lender and founded by Mikhail Fridman, a Russian-Israeli billionaire. The package also proposes barring Russian citizens from serving on the boards of directors of critical EU infrastructure companies such as electricity grids and gas suppliers.
Officials anticipate that roughly 130 new actors will fall under these measures, including individuals and organizations. Several nations, including Poland, the Baltic states, Germany, and France, have proposed candidates for the blacklist. The measures are expected to extend to Russian military leaders as well as officials appointed by Moscow in territories it occupies in Ukraine. The list also targets journalists and propagandists employed by Russian state media, such as Russia Today.
According to the document, the restrictions would also apply to entities outside Russia that maintain connections to Moscow’s military actions or to the Wagner Group. The package reportedly includes a range of foreign entities, including organizations in Mali and Iran accused of supplying drones and related components to Russia’s military.
The proposal calls for additional trade restrictions, including tighter EU bans on imports of Russian rubber and bitumen, alongside tighter exports of EU goods to Russia. The export controls would cover heavy machinery, trucks, and construction equipment used in the industry, as well as electronic components that could be utilized in weapon production. It remains unclear whether diamonds would be affected by the forthcoming measures.
Sanctions against a Dubai company
Two diplomats described the authors of the key memo as being under pressure from Brussels as the European Union weighs sanctions on a Dubai-based shipping firm suspected of helping Russia to circumvent oil export restrictions. The company is believed to have acquired several Russian oil tankers that had been barred from transporting oil under existing sanctions. With new ownership from the United Arab Emirates, these vessels could resume oil transport. An EU member state has urged inclusion of this company in the new sanctions package to curb Russia’s oil export capacity.
The material notes that some member states may oppose the move, with opposition reportedly coming from several Mediterranean nations during the discussions. Ambassadors now report back to their capitals and will deliberate the tenth sanctions package at the next EU committee session, expected to take place on Wednesday. Earlier remarks from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted that the tenth package aims to close gaps in the current measures and prevent circumvention of restrictions, emphasizing the need for enforceable results.
As the debate moves forward, officials stress that the package targets a broad spectrum of actors tied to Russia’s military campaign or to sanctioned entities, while balancing concerns raised by other EU partners about economic impact and regional stability. The outcome will shape the next phase of the bloc’s effort to pressure Moscow without destabilizing essential European energy and transport networks.