🚨️ The EU adopts an 18th package of sanctions against Russia

Brussels (Belgium), July 18, 2025 (AFP) - On Friday, the EU adopted an 18th package of sanctions against Russia at war with Ukraine, which provides for a reduction in the price of Russian oil authorized for export, diplomatic sources have learned.

“We now have an agreement on an 18th package of strong and effective sanctions against Russia”, assured a diplomat in Brussels after a meeting of European Union ambassadors on Friday morning.

Slovakia, which has so far blocked the adoption of this new sanctions package, the 18th since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has finally agreed to lift its veto after receiving guarantees.

Bratislava used this veto to put pressure on the European Commission to guarantee its gas supply, at a time when the EU seeks to completely stop its imports of Russian gas by 2027.

These new sanctions include a lowering of the threshold for the price of Russian crude oil, now set at just over 45 dollars per barrel, or 15% less than the average price of a Russian barrel on the market, according to these sources.

Until now, the threshold was set at $60 per barrel, a price considered too high, given the current level of oil prices on the market.

“The European Union has just adopted one of the most severe sanctions packages against Russia to date”, welcomed the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas.

If prices were to continue to fall on the market, the new mechanism would follow suit with always a 15% difference, a system considered to be more flexible and effective than the previous one.

The EU “will keep up the pressure until Russia stops its war”, assured Ms Kallas.

Europeans still hope to join the United States, which has so far been reluctant to set a new threshold after the agreement reached at the G7 on a price of 60 dollars.

By setting a maximum price, Westerners hope to limit the financial pain that Russia enjoys in order to continue its war against Ukraine.

According to Ms Kallas, the threshold of 60 dollars has made it possible to reduce Russian oil revenues by 30%, which is essential for financing the conflict.

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