The European Union is preparing its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia alongside a new financial support proposal to address Ukraine’s funding requirements in 2027, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at the beginning of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Dublin, von der Leyen said the European Commission was working on both initiatives and intended to present them before the next European Council meeting.
“We will come with the sanctions package and the proposal for the financial needs before the next European Council,” she said.
The announcement signals the EU’s intention to maintain economic and political pressure on Moscow while ensuring that Ukraine receives sufficient financial assistance to sustain its government, economy and essential public services amid the continuing war.
The proposed 22nd sanctions package would represent another step in the EU’s sustained effort to weaken Russia’s capacity to finance and support its military campaign against Ukraine. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the bloc has introduced successive rounds of restrictive measures targeting Russian individuals, companies, financial institutions, energy exports, military industries and international trade networks.
Previous sanctions packages have focused on restricting Moscow’s access to advanced technologies, limiting revenues from energy exports, freezing assets and preventing the circumvention of existing trade restrictions.
Although von der Leyen did not disclose the specific measures under consideration for the upcoming package, its preparation demonstrates that Brussels intends to continue using economic restrictions as a central instrument of its response to Russia’s invasion.
Alongside sanctions, the European Commission is developing a financial support framework for Ukraine covering 2027. The initiative is particularly significant as Kyiv faces continued pressure to finance defence requirements, maintain public administration, support its population and rebuild infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.
The EU has emerged as one of Ukraine’s most important financial and political supporters since the beginning of the war. European assistance has covered budgetary requirements, humanitarian programmes, military support and efforts to maintain the country’s economic stability.
The proposed 2027 financial plan is intended to provide greater clarity about how Ukraine’s funding requirements will be addressed beyond existing commitments. However, von der Leyen did not disclose the proposed funding amount, the financing mechanism or how the financial burden would be distributed among EU member states.
The announcement also comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to explore a possible resolution to the conflict. Von der Leyen welcomed the ongoing peace talks in Abu Dhabi and highlighted the importance of European participation in discussions affecting Ukraine’s future.
She stressed that European representation was necessary to safeguard the bloc’s interests as diplomatic initiatives continued.
The involvement of European representatives is particularly important because the outcome of any potential peace agreement would have far-reaching consequences for European security, the continent’s political order and the future of relations between Russia and Western countries.
European governments have repeatedly argued that decisions concerning Ukraine’s security and territorial future cannot be made without Ukraine’s participation and that Europe’s security interests must also be taken into account.
Von der Leyen reiterated that the EU’s commitment to Ukraine would continue regardless of whether the country remained at war or entered a period of peace.
“We will support Ukraine, be it in wartime or be it in peacetime,” she said.
Her remarks underline Brussels’ position that European assistance should not be limited to military support during the conflict but should also extend to Ukraine’s longer-term recovery, reconstruction and economic integration.
The European Political Community summit provides a platform for European leaders to discuss shared security challenges, geopolitical developments and cooperation across the continent.
The EU’s preparations for another sanctions package and a 2027 financial support proposal indicate that Brussels is planning for a prolonged period of engagement with the Ukraine conflict, even as diplomatic efforts continue.
