The EU plans to launch the 19th round of sanctions against Russia, which may involve targeting Russian cryptocurrency exchanges

ChainCatcher news, the EU is studying a new round of sanctions against about six Russian banks and energy companies. According to informed sources, this will be the 19th round of sanctions by the EU since 2022. The measures may also target Russia's payment and credit card systems, cryptocurrency exchanges, and further tighten restrictions on Russian oil trade.

The EU hopes to coordinate some of these measures with the United States. A delegation of EU officials will travel to Washington this week to meet with U.S. counterparts and discuss the possibility of joint action. The EU's latest package of restrictive measures will expand sanctions on Russia's "shadow fleets," target oil traders from third countries, and may introduce a reinsurance ban on listed tankers.

The EU is also considering imposing stricter sanctions on major Russian oil companies, removing some exemptions currently enjoyed by companies like Rosneft. Additionally, it may prohibit the export of more goods and chemicals used in Russia's military-industrial sector. According to informed sources, the EU is also considering using its "anti-circumvention tool" against Kazakhstan for the first time, which would ban the import of certain machinery from the country.

According to EU trade data, these machines are still being transported in large quantities to Russia and are used in weapons production. Other measures under consideration include visa restrictions, limitations on ports handling sanctioned "shadow fleets," and sanctions on services with military significance, such as artificial intelligence. The sanctions proposal is expected to be formally presented in the coming days.