A new Policy Briefing is published today by the Ukrainian campaign group Razom We Stand. The paper, titled “Final Nails in the Kremlin’s Coffin”, highlights critical loopholes in European Union sanctions and urges swift and decisive action from European leaders to accelerate the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels.
As trilateral negotiations on the EU REPowerEU Regulation begin between the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission, Razom We Stand calls for fast alignment with the European Parliament’s tougher proposal of a full ban on Russian fossil fuel imports by 1 January 2027—one year earlier than the Council’s less ambitious timeline. Our analysis estimates that accelerating the ban could deny the Kremlin over €29 billion in revenue from 2026 to 2028, equivalent to the cost of nearly 900,000 Shahed drones used in attacks against Ukraine.
Dr Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand, said:
“Tough, uncompromising measures are absolutely essential to sever Europe’s financial lifelines to Russia’s brutal war machine and to fully honour the EU’s commitments to Ukraine and its people. Every day delayed is more blood spilled and more destruction wreaked by the Kremlin’s unrelenting aggression. The accelerated, firmer sanctions implementation outlined in this briefing is not just a policy choice—it is a moral imperative that can decisively weaken Russia’s war effort and save countless innocent lives. Europe must rise with solidarity and justice for Ukraine now, to give hope for a just peace.”
The briefing details ongoing EU imports of Russian LNG and oil via networks exploiting regulatory loopholes—fueling the Kremlin’s war machine. It spotlights Western companies inadvertently facilitating Russian LNG shipments worth billions, while highlighting continued Russian tax revenues used to finance military aggression.
Razom We Stand urges the European Union to immediately:
- Ban all new contracts and short-term deals for Russian pipeline gas and LNG from 1 January 2026 without exceptions;
- Enforce a comprehensive prohibition of Russian fossil fuel supply, transit, storage, and shipping services;
- Close circumvention routes including “rerouting to Asia” through coordinated secondary sanctions with G7 partners;
- Target key Russian energy companies like Novatek and their subsidiaries with sanctions;
- Strengthen customs controls, LNG import monitoring, and transparency requirements across all EU ports.
The policy briefing comes at a pivotal moment as EU leaders prepare for critical votes in November and December 2025, shaping the future of EU energy sanctions and security strategy.
