Estonia expands sanctions against russia

This was reported by ERR, according to Ukrinform.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has submitted a proposal to the government to extend and expand existing sanctions prohibiting the import and purchase of natural gas from russia.

According to Tsahkna, the aim of the extension is to introduce a complete ban on LNG imports. "Currently, it is permitted to purchase and import liquefied natural gas from russia, provided that it is not used in the distribution network. Once the amendment comes into force, the import ban will also apply to liquefied natural gas imported outside the distribution network," he explained.

The Estonian Foreign Minister stressed that russia has not changed its ambitions and continues its aggression in Ukraine. ‘We will continue to increase the cost of aggression for russia and look for ways to reduce the revenues that fuel its military machine. Given Belarus' support for russia's actions, similar bans will also apply to Belarus,’ he said.

The Estonian government has approved the extension of sanctions. The ban will take effect on 1 January 2026, giving market participants enough time to familiarise themselves with the changes and reorganise their activities accordingly, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry.

Imports of russian LNG have also been restricted by Finland, Latvia and Lithuania through various mechanisms, such as border closures or statutory bans. At the same time, the RePowerEU process was launched, which provides for the cessation of imports of natural gas and oil from the aggressor state.

Source: Ukrinform, ERR