The European Union did not include Russian nickel in the 19th package of sanctions

The countries of the European Union (EU) import Russian nickel, which is also used for military needs, and do not intend to impose restrictions on the import of metal as part of the 19th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. This was announced on September 27 by the Finnish television and radio company Yle, citing MEPs.

"We use Russian nickel specifically for the needs of the defense industry," said Merja Kullenen, a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Security and Defense Policy.

According to her, if Russian nickel supplies were banned, the price of the metal in the world would rise sharply, which would lead to problems in the industry. According to the broadcaster, last year the European Union bought $1 billion worth of nickel from Russia, and about $300 million in the first quarter of 2025.

"Of course, Russian nickel is important for both the automotive and steel industries, but I would say that the defense industry is definitely the main factor," Finnish politician Katri Kulumni added.

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Earlier, on September 26, Politico newspaper learned that the European Commission (EC) proposed to change the mechanism for extending sanctions against Russia in order to avoid a possible veto from Hungary. The Commission proposed to change the rules for extending sanctions from a unanimous vote to a qualified majority vote.

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