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Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said a G7 deal is not an "absolute precondition" for a full ban on maritime services for Russian tankers. Brussels wants the new sanctions approved by 24 February.
The European Union will not "shy away" from adopting a full ban on maritime services for Russian oil tankers if G7 allies fail to reach a deal, Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for the Economy, has said as negotiations continue between member states on a fresh round of economic sanctions against the Kremlin.

Brussels wants the 20th package of sanctions to be approved by the time the full-scale invasion of Ukraine reaches its grim fourth anniversary on 24 February.

If the proposed ban on maritime services is enacted, the price cap on Russian oil that the G7 has been operating since December 2022 will come to an end within the EU's jurisdictionbecause all EU companies would be prohibited from servicing Russian tankers, regardless of the price at which they sell their Urals crude.

The cap was last adjusted to $44.10 per barrel.

"We have been presenting the outline of the measures to be taken to our G7 partners because obviously it's best if we take steps in a coordinated manner," Dombrovskis said on Tuesday afternoon after a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels.

"In a sense, it's not an absolute precondition. But the higher alignment we can achieve, including at the G7 level, the better," he went on. "We will not shy away also to take steps at the EU level should the broader agreement not be forthcoming."

The remarks represent a notable change of tone from the Commission. Earlier this month, the executive made it clear that the EU would move forward with the full ban only after a decision is made at the G7 level.

But at this stage, it is not clear how many G7 allies are willing to mirror the measure and terminate the price cap on Russian oil.

Contacted by Euronews, the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as Australia, which is a member of the price cap coalition, said they were aware of the Commission's proposal.

"We are working closely with our G7 partners to increase the economic pressure on Russia, including by going after Russian energy revenues as a core part of this strategy. We continue to work closely with our EU and G7 partners on this, and discussions are ongoing," a spokesperson from the British Foreign Office told Euronews.

The United States and Japan did not reply.(Euronews, 2026-02-17)