EU Prepares 19th Sanctions Package as US Hits Rosneft, Lukoil

A new wave of coordinated Western pressure is building on Russia, as the Trump administration sanctioned oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil while the European Union prepares its 19th sanctions package.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the US move, stating she had spoken with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “With the imminent adoption of the EU’s 19th [sanctions] package, this is a clear signal from both sides of the Atlantic that we will keep up collective pressure on the aggressor,” she wrote.
The EU’s new measures are expected to be comprehensive, including a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), blacklisting ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, and targeting banks and entities that help Russia evade existing sanctions.
The US sanctions, the first of the new Trump term, are aimed at cutting off revenue for Putin’s “war machine.” Bessent blamed Putin’s “refusal to end this senseless war” for the action and called for an “immediate ceasefire.”
The economic pressure was accompanied by a diplomatic chill. President Trump confirmed he had cancelled a planned summit with Vladimir Putin, citing a lack of progress in negotiations to end the war.