Ten EU Countries Call for Expanded Sanctions on Russian Metals
January 4th
In mid-December 2024, a letter seen by Reuters revealed that ten European Union member states—including Poland, which will assume the EU Council presidency in January, along with Denmark, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, and Romania—are advocating for broader sanctions targeting metals such as aluminum originating from Russia. As metals represent a key revenue stream for Russia next to fossil fuels, the letter urges import bans to further reduce financial flows supporting its war in Ukraine. While the EU has already banned certain Russian aluminum products (like wires, tubes, and foil), these account for less than 15% of total EU imports. The full sanctions package is expected to be proposed by the European Commission in late January 2025 and potentially adopted by February to coincide with the war’s third anniversary.
