The EU Council decided to prolong the restrictive measures targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for another six months, until 15 September 2025.
The existing restrictive measures provide for travel restrictions for natural persons, the freezing of assets, and a ban on making funds or other economic resources available to the listed individuals and entities. Sanctions will continue to apply to nearly 2400 individuals and entities targeted in response to Russia’s ongoing unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine.
In the context of the sanctions’ review, the Council also decided not to renew the listings of 4 individuals and to remove 3 deceased persons from the list.
After 24 February 2022, in response to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, the EU massively expanded sanctions against Russia with the aim of significantly weakening Russia’s economic base, depriving it of critical technologies and markets, and significantly curtailing its ability to wage war.
In its conclusions of 19 December 2024, the European Council reiterated its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter, and reaffirmed its continued support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The European Council also reconfirmed the EU’s unwavering commitment to providing continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed. Russia must not prevail.
The European Council reaffirmed its support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law and underlined the principle that no initiative regarding Ukraine be taken without Ukraine. To this end, the EU and its member states will maintain their intensive global outreach efforts and will participate in the discussions affecting Europe’s security.
The European Union remains ready to step up pressure on Russia, including by adopting further sanctions.