European Union countries have reached an agreement on a new sanctions package to be imposed on Russia. These sanctions will target aluminum imports from Russia along with the shadow fleet. Member states of the European Union have agreed on new sanctions that ban aluminum imports from Russia and target the Russian shadow fleet. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, announced through her social media account that EU countries had reached an agreement on the 16th sanctions package prepared in commemoration of the anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war on February 24th. SANCTIONS ON SHADOW FLEET COMING With this package, von der Leyen stated that the EU is targeting ships in Russia’s shadow fleet and will apply new import and export bans on the country. “I welcome the agreement on our 16th sanctions package,” she said. Von der Leyen also noted that measures have been taken to prevent circumvention of the sanctions and that they are determined to continue pressuring the Kremlin. Among the new sanctions, an incremental ban will be imposed on the import of Russian aluminum products to the EU, and measures targeting crude oil sales will be further intensified. 73 shadow fleet tankers used by Russia to bypass restrictions on crude oil exports, along with some Russian banks, individuals, and companies, will be added to the sanctions list. 15 SANCTIONS PACKAGES IMPLEMENTED SO FAR The EU has implemented 15 sanctions packages against Russia due to the war. These packages include a wide range of restrictions covering trade, finance, energy including oil and coal, industry, technology, transportation, dual-use and luxury goods, as well as gold and diamonds. Sanctions also include bans on the shipment of crude oil and certain petroleum products by sea from Russia to the EU, the exclusion of some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system, and the suspension of activities by numerous media organizations. The EU’s sanctions list includes more than 2,000 individuals and entities.