BRUSSELS — The European Union is considering imposing further tariffs on imports of goods from Russia as the bloc strives to weaken President Vladimir Putin’s war economy and push him to negotiate peace in Ukraine, according to a discussion paper seen by POLITICO.
The Danish presidency of the Council of the EU is gathering the views of member capitals to gauge the political appetite for imposing tariffs on Moscow as Brussels looks to prepare a 19th sanctions package by early September.
The document was distributed to EU delegations on Tuesday evening ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Copenhagen on Saturday. Before that, defense ministers will meet in the Danish capital, also informally, to discuss military support for Ukraine.
The two rounds of discussions, along with more weapons and further sanctions, aim to dissuade the Kremlin from dragging on the war given that Ukraine will keep getting the support it needs, an EU diplomat said.
In addition to upping the pressure on Moscow, the meetings will also provide the Commission with political guidance as European leaders try to keep U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in efforts to bring the three-year war to an end.
While EU sanctions “are working,” the document reads, “the pressure on Russia must be ramped up to bring Putin to the negotiation table to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
The document notes that the EU imported €14.2 billion worth of Russian goods in the first five months of 2025 — a fraction of pre-war levels.
In June, the EU adopted tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers and other agricultural goods. But the fertilizer duties, starting at just €40 to €45 per ton and phased in over three years, have yet to bite: Shipments from Russia to the bloc actually surged by nearly 50 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, with June deliveries hitting their highest level since before the war.
The document sets out ways to “further hamper Russia’s war-financing ability and warfare capability beyond our current measures.”
Copenhagen asks capitals whether they should mandate the Commission “to expeditiously analyse the possibility of introducing tariffs on further Russian products, and possibly other trade-related measures, and put forward a proposal as a mid-term response that aligns with broader strategic objectives.”
Besides tariffs it lists four other areas.
First, it proposes hitting Russia with further sanctions, which could target “Russia’s oil and gas export revenues, as well as the financial sector — including crypto, its enablers and its infrastructure.”
Another option would be to start applying the so-called anti-circumvention tool, which was introduced in the bloc’s 11th package of sanctions against Russia and would ban exports to third countries that are considered particularly likely to help Russia circumvent sanctions.
Third, the EU could accelerate efforts to list more shadow fleet ships that are illegally selling Russian fuel and increasingly target the operators, traders and ports that facilitate the shadow fleets.
Lastly, the document raises the issue of conditionality, asking how the EU could introduce “conditionality in our next round of sanctions.” It also addresses how “transatlantic coordination on ramping up pressure on Russia” can be assured.
Bartosz Brzeziński contributed reporting. This story has been updated.