Abstract

Due to Russia’s 2022 war in Ukraine, the EU decided to adopt a set of comprehensive measures against the tenth largest economy in the world. These sanctions include measures that were previously considered as sacrosanct elements of EU-Russia cooperation, including energy or finance. The main objective of this article is to show how the war in Ukraine and subsequent EU actions have brought about significant changes in EU sanctions policy. The aim is not to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree analysis of EU restrictive measures but to highlight some of the major developments in EU sanctions policy that have taken place largely due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. These changes include the size and magnitude of sanctions, the increased likelihood of shifting from unanimity to qualified majority voting in foreign and security policy, the banning of media outlets through restrictive measures or a commitment to better enforce EU sanctions throughout the Union and perhaps even beyond. Up until now, most of these Union actions have been inconceivable but external shocks have seemingly changed policymakers’ minds over the design of a more effective EU sanctions policy.