On Friday, the European Union suggested moving a proposed ban on Russian gas imports up by a year as part of a new set of sanctions aimed at diminishing Moscow’s financial capabilities and satisfying U.S. President Donald Trump.

This latest round of sanctions, the 19th package targeting Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, also aims to address firms, banks, and traders in China, India, and other nations accused of assisting Russia in evading sanctions.

The proposal, which requires consent from the EU’s 27 member nations, intends to eliminate liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases from Russia by January 2027.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the “strong” sanctions package as a significant measure that will heighten pressure on Russia’s military efforts and deliver a real impact.

“Russia’s war economy relies heavily on income from fossil fuels. Our goal is to reduce this income,” stated Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

“It’s time to turn off the tap,” she added.

These new sanctions arrive as the United States urges the EU to halt fossil fuel imports from Russia, while the EU is simultaneously trying to persuade Trump to adopt a firmer position against Moscow.

So far, the U.S. President has refrained from intensifying pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but indicated last week his willingness to take action if allies stopped acquiring Russian oil and imposed tariffs on China.

Under previous sanctions, the EU has already prohibited most Russian oil imports, drastically reducing the EU’s share from 29% in early 2021 to only 2% expected by mid-2025, with only Hungary and Slovakia—nations favorable to Moscow and Trump—continuing to import Russian oil.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that Brussels was accelerating its timeline to halt all Russian LNG imports from the previously stated end of 2027 to the new target of the end of 2026.

“Moscow believes it can sustain its war. We are ensuring it pays for that,” she remarked on X (formerly Twitter).

In his message on X, Zelensky expressed gratitude to the EU for its “leadership and unity.”

“We look forward to the swift approval of the 19th sanctions package and expect other partners to replicate and enhance these measures,” he stated.

In spite of efforts to eliminate decades of reliance, Russia continued to supply 19% of the EU’s gas in 2024, a decrease from 45% prior to the conflict, partly due to increasing imports of LNG transported by sea, which have mitigated a dramatic drop in pipeline supplies.

Last year, Europe received 32 billion cubic meters of gas through the TurkStream pipeline and 20 billion cubic meters via LNG shipments.

The EU has already enacted 18 rounds of sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, faced with resistance from some member countries, particularly Hungary and Slovakia.

Von der Leyen emphasized that the latest package aims to target those who contribute to Russia’s military efforts by purchasing oil in violation of existing sanctions.

“We are focusing on refineries, oil traders, and petrochemical firms in third-party nations, including China,” she said.

Brussels also intends to impose restrictions on cryptocurrency platforms and the MIR payment system established by Russia to reduce dependence on U.S. systems, according to her and Kallas.

The sanctions package also aims to blacklist 118 additional vessels in Russia’s “shadow fleet” of old tankers used to bypass oil export restrictions, along with 45 companies alleged to support Russia’s military-industrial sector.

Entities from Russia, China, and India will face export bans and stricter controls, Kallas noted.

Though the measures may appear to be a compromise to accommodate Trump’s demands, they do not fully align with his call for up to 100% tariffs on Beijing and New Delhi.

This is not surprising as Brussels, generally hesitant about imposing tariffs, is currently in negotiations for a trade agreement with India and has no desire to provoke a wider trade conflict with China.

Some diplomats have remarked critically that U.S. requests for European action seem to align with American commercial interests while providing Trump with room to delay taking a firm stance against Russia.

As the world’s leading oil producer, the United States is also the largest supplier of LNG to Europe, accounting for nearly 45% of total imports.

Most of the LNG arrives at terminals in France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium, though it is unclear how much is consumed domestically versus being transported onward to other countries.