EU Names Countries Not Affected by Sanctions on Russian Oil Products Imports

An import ban introduced as part of the EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting petroleum products derived from Russian oil, does not apply to the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, and Canada, TASS reports.

This is stated in the EU Council’s announcement regarding the adoption of the 18th sanctions package.

"The EU imposes a ban on the import of refined petroleum products produced from Russian oil and originating from third countries, except for Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States," the statement reads.

The document emphasizes that the goal of these restrictions is to close routes for Russian crude oil to enter the EU market "bypassing" the import ban established at the end of 2022. It also notes that the EU has officially revoked the exemptions previously granted for oil imports from Russia for the Czech Republic