The European Union (EU) will continue its own sanctions policy regarding Russia, even if the United States rescues sanctions from the aggressor country. In this regard, Europe is already developing the 16th package of sanctions.

The European Commissioner for Economics Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters upon arrival at a meeting of the Council on Economic and Financial Issues of the EU Council, which takes place on February 18 in Brussels. At the same time, he recalled that under any conditions of the United States will remain a strategic partner of the European Union. " - Ed. ) that the EU should take questions of his own security in his own hands. It also applies to sanctions policy, ”said Dombrovskis.

He added that right now in the European Union there is a development of the next, already on the 16th in a row of a sanctions package regarding Russia, in connection with aggression regarding Ukraine. Earlier, the media learned that the 16th package of EU sanctions can cover the purchases of aluminum, shadow oil fleet, ports, airports and banks. At the same time, restrictions are planned to be introduced gradually to give companies the opportunity to find alternative suppliers.

So, during the year, European companies will be able to buy aluminum from Russia according to the quota system, which provides for a limit of 275 thousand tons. After that, a full embargo should come into effect. This decision is dictated by the fact that in 2024 Russia supplied about 6% of the total aluminum, which is imported into the EU. And since the aluminum industry is one of the important sources of foreign currency revenues, restrictions regarding this industry will be a serious blow to the Russian economy.

At the same time, it is not planned to include in the 16th package of sanctions the ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). This was a disappointment for a number of European countries, in particular Poland, Finland and the Baltic countries, which insisted on the complete termination of procurement.