By John Evans, consultant in compliance. Eurasia Business News, September 1, 2025. Article n°1759.
The European Union is considering imposing secondary sanctions against Russia in response to its ongoing war in Ukraine, since February 2022. These secondary sanctions aim to prevent third countries like China, India or Turkey from helping Russia circumvent existing EU sanctions.
The EU has an “anti-circumvention” tool, adopted in 2023 but not yet used, which would allow restricting exports, supplies, or transfers of certain goods to nations believed to be aiding Russia in evading sanctions. This would mark a significant step in enforcing sanctions more effectively and deterring indirect support for Russia’s economy and military efforts.
Discussions on these measures are expected to take place among EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen, alongside preparations for the 19th package of sanctions. This upcoming package may target Russian kidnappers of Ukrainian children, energy and financial sectors, and potentially involve additional secondary sanctions. The EU is seeking to align its approach with the United States and other Western partners, who have already used secondary sanctions to pressure allies to close sanction loopholes.
While the EU has faced challenges in implementing direct anti-Russia measures due to the policies of other powers (China, India, Turkey, UAE), secondary sanctions provide an alternative route to tighten economic restrictions and impair Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort.
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