The foreign ministers of Sweden and Finland have urged the European Union to impose a full maritime services ban on ships transporting Russian energy resources in its forthcoming 20th sanctions package, reports Athens' Safety4Sea.
In a joint letter to EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said existing sanctions on Russia's energy sector and shadow tanker fleet had already cut revenues used to fund aggression against Ukraine.
The ministers proposed new measures including a blanket ban on EU entities providing services such as transport, insurance, port access or repairs to vessels carrying Russian oil, gas or coal. They also called for tighter restrictions on Russian fertilizer exports, arguing current quotas allow excessive trade.
Another proposal is to remove the value threshold for luxury goods exports to Russia, banning all such items regardless of price. The ministers said luxury products carry symbolic and political weight beyond their monetary value.
The G7 and EU have already considered scrapping the oil price cap, which would amount to a full ban on maritime services supporting Russian oil trade. The EU is expected to adopt its 20th sanctions package by February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.