EU agrees new sanctions against Russia, Greece exempted

EU ambassadors agreed on July 23, 2026 to a new sanctions package aimed at Russia while carving out an exemption that lets Greece continue shipping Russian liquefied natural gas to non-EU customers, officials said.

Greece's LNG exemption

The exemption preserves revenue streams for Greek firms and avoids an immediate disruption to established LNG supply chains that link Mediterranean transshipment hubs to buyers beyond the bloc. Officials cautioned that the carve-out is limited to third-country deliveries and does not change existing prohibitions on direct imports into the EU.

The broader sanctions package remains aimed at tightening trade and financial levers against Moscow, officials said; the ambassadors' deal layers targeted measures with the Greece carve-out to balance political unity and energy continuity. Markets and energy buyers will watch whether shippers reroute volumes or alter contractual counterparts in response.

Expect the package to be submitted for formal sign-off by EU ministers in the coming days; observers should look for confirmations or technical amendments by July 27, 2026.

Officials said the measure permits Greek carriers and terminals to keep handling Russian LNG destined for clients outside the EU for the foreseeable future. Ambassadors negotiated the text before sending it on for formal clearance, the officials added.