EditSweden and Finland push for tougher EU sanctions on Russia’s energy exports
The joint Nordic initiative underscores growing calls from frontline EU states to intensify economic isolation of Russia amid continued aggression in Ukraine
The foreign ministers of Sweden and Finland have jointly urged the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, to include a series of aggressive new measures in the bloc’s forthcoming 20th sanctions package against Russia, aimed at further squeezing Moscow’s revenues from fossil fuel exports and weakening its ability to fund the war in Ukraine.
In a letter dated 12 January, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen highlighted the effectiveness of existing sanctions on Russia’s energy sector and “shadow fleet” of tankers, which have already substantially cut revenues available for the aggression against Ukraine. They called for continued escalation to counter Russia’s ongoing attacks and improve its negotiating position.
The letter, addressed to High Representative Kaja Kallas (Vice-President of the European Commission for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), proposes three key additions to the 20th package, with encouragement for coordination with G7 partners:
- a full maritime services ban on any ship transporting Russian carbon-based energy resources (oil, gas, or coal) from Russian ports. This would prohibit EU entities from providing services such as transport, ship-to-ship transfers, insurance, port access, repairs, or other support—regardless of the sale price or whether the vessel is on existing sanctions lists;
- strengthened restrictions on Russian fertilizer exports to the EU, the third-largest category of goods Russia ships to the bloc. Current import quotas are described as overly generous, effectively allowing unhindered trade;
- removal of the value threshold for luxury items exported to Russia. While high-end goods already face bans above certain prices, the ministers argue that luxury products carry symbolic and political weight beyond their monetary value, and exports should be prohibited entirely, irrespective of price.
The maritime services proposal stands out as the most transformative, targeting the vulnerabilities of Russia’s oil export logistics.
Explaining the maritime services ban: from price cap to total prohibition
The EU and G7 introduced an oil price cap of USD 60 per barrel in December 2022 to limit Russia’s revenues while allowing global energy markets to function. In the first half of 2025, Sweden and like-minded countries successfully pushed for a reduction, lowering the cap to USD 47.60 per barrel in July 2025 (a level now applied across the EU and most G7 countries, except the United States, which retained the original threshold).
Under the current system, EU and G7 economic operators are prohibited from providing maritime services (insurance, brokering, financing, etc.) to vessels transporting Russian crude oil or petroleum products sold above the cap. Compliance with the cap remains permitted for non-sanctioned vessels, but enforcement has proven challenging due to falsified documents and difficulties verifying prices.
As of October 2025 estimates, only about 35% of vessels carrying Russian oil complied with the cap, while 65% operated as part of the opaque “shadow fleet” that evades restrictions.
A full maritime services ban, as proposed, would go further: it would make it illegal for EU operators to provide any services to all vessels exporting Russian carbon-based energy from Russian ports, eliminating the need to check prices or sanctions lists. European vessels would be barred from transporting such cargoes entirely, and non-European ships would lose access to critical EU-based services like insurance and port facilities.
According to a Swedish diplomatic source commenting for EUalive, this comprehensive approach would significantly drive up transportation costs for Russian energy exports, reduce Moscow’s profits from the trade, and simplify compliance for operators by removing reliance on hard-to-verify documentation. It aims to close loopholes that have allowed the shadow fleet to persist and continue generating funds for Russia’s military efforts.
The EU is currently preparing the 20th sanctions package, with proposals expected in January 2026 and potential adoption timed around the 24 February anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Recent months have seen incremental “rolling” additions targeting shadow fleet vessels and enablers, reflecting a strategy to maintain pressure without waiting for full consensus on broader packages.
Caption: Illustrative photo. An undated handout photo made available by the US European Command (EUCOM)’s X account on 7 January 2026 shows the ship Marinera (previously named Bella 1) seen in the distance at sea. EPA/US EUROPEAN COMMAND HANDOUT
Updated: January 13, 2026 - 12:19
