Turin, 22 December (LaPresse) – The EU Council has renewed economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, until 31 July 2026. A statement reports that the sanctions, first introduced in 2014, have been significantly expanded since February 2022 in response to Russia's unjustified and illegal military aggression against Ukraine. They currently consist of a wide range of sectoral measures, including restrictions on trade, finance, energy, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods. These include: a ban on the import or transfer of crude oil and certain petroleum products transported by sea from Russia to the EU, the de-SWIFTisation of several Russian banks, and the suspension of the activities and broadcasting licences in the EU of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets. In addition, specific measures allow the EU to counter the circumvention of sanctions. ‘As long as the Russian Federation's illegal actions continue to violate fundamental norms of international law, including, in particular, the prohibition on the use of force, it is appropriate to maintain all measures imposed by the EU and, if necessary, to adopt additional measures,’ the statement said.