Ukraine and Nordic-Baltic partners push for tougher sanctions on Russia’s shadow oil fleet

According to Ukrinform, the Office of the President reported this.

Representatives of the Nordic-Baltic Eight — Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — took part in the discussion. The parties addressed military and political support for Ukraine, as well as coordination of efforts to achieve a just peace.

Zhovkva thanked NB8 partners for their consistent support on international platforms and noted that countries from this region have made the largest cumulative contribution under the PURL initiative. The total sum of confirmed financial commitments from member states amount to $1.55 billion across several packages. It was noted that by the end of the year an additional $800 million is needed to finance new defense packages for Ukraine.

“Special attention was given to sanctions pressure on Russia, particularly in the area of countering the shadow fleet. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President noted that last year Russia transported more than 60% of its seaborne oil exports using a shadow fleet of tankers. It is important to expand sanctions against captains, crew members, and vessel owners to prevent circumvention of restrictions and reduce Russia’s ability to finance its aggression,” the statement says.

The parties also coordinated their positions ahead of the European Council meeting and Cyprus’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2026.

“Ukraine is fully delivering on its commitments on the European integration track. We are ready for the next steps in opening negotiating clusters and count on continued unity and support from the member states of the European Union,” Zhovkva emphasized.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that sanctions against Russian tankers and the entire infrastructure for transporting Russian oil will be strengthened both by Europe and Ukraine.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine