On September 17, a discussion was held with economist Oleh Penzy, focusing on EU sanctions against Russia and the role of the US in shaping the energy market.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced after talks with Donald Trump a postponement of the 19th sanctions package, which is expected to include restrictions on cryptocurrencies, banks and the energy sector. At the same time, the EU intends to accelerate a complete phase-out of Russian energy carriers by mid-2026.
Despite sanctions, European countries such as Hungary and Slovakia continue to buy Russian gas and oil, often through bypass schemes. There is significant competition between Russia and the US in the liquefied gas market because US LNG is more expensive, prompting the US to increase political pressure on the EU to restrict imports from Russia.
The new sanctions are expected to strengthen controls over crypto exchanges, introduce new personal restrictions relating to the "shadow fleet", and possibly further disconnect Russian banks from SWIFT. The package also addresses measures against companies from third countries, especially China.
The expert emphasized the interdependence of US, EU and Ukrainian energy and economic policy, the special role of political agreements in imposing sanction regimes, and expects the 19th sanctions package to become actualized by the end of September.
