European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the European Union (EU) is preparing a new round of sanctions against Russia while boosting military and financial support for Ukraine.

 

 

In her annual State of the Union address, von der Leyen said the bloc is working on a 19th sanctions package targeting Russia’s fossil fuel revenues and “shadow fleet” of tankers. 

She said the EU has already committed nearly 170 billion euros in aid to Ukraine and is exploring long-term financing, including a Reparations Loan backed by frozen Russian assets. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that sanctions will not alter Moscow’s stance, calling previous measures “useless.”