The European Commission has proposed keeping the price cap on Russian oil at its current level until January, seeking to avoid a mandatory increase under the European Union’s review mechanism amid a rise in global oil prices following the war in the Middle East.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal while presenting the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia.

The price cap for Russian oil was set at $44.1 per barrel in January. Under the mechanism, the cap is recalculated every six months at a level 15% below the market price of Russia’s Urals crude.

Von der Leyen said the system “was not designed for market shocks of the kind caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

“We propose freezing the adjustment until January next year. This will maintain pressure on Russia’s revenues while giving oil markets time to regain stability,” she said.

Brent crude has traded below $100 a barrel since the end of May. Prices fell to as low as $91 on Tuesday.

By contrast, according to Argus Media data, Urals crude has recently been shipped from Black Sea and Baltic Sea ports at an average price of around $73.5 per barrel.

Western companies seeking to comply with EU sanctions may purchase Russian oil only within the limits of the established price cap. However, most Russian oil is transported by shadow fleet tankers, many of which are themselves subject to sanctions.

As part of the 21st sanctions package, the European Commission has proposed imposing sanctions on an additional 30 vessels linked to that fleet.

The package also calls for a ban on the sale of ships that could be used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Russia, mirroring restrictions previously imposed on oil tankers.

In addition, the Commission plans to introduce sanctions targeting the fishing sector for the first time. It also said it had prepared what it described as the most comprehensive package of restrictions yet aimed at banks and financial companies, including those operating in third countries.

The proposed sanctions require the approval of all European Union member states before they can enter into force.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) has argued that Ukraine should compensate Germany for the loss of access to cheap fossil fuel energy following the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Speaking at a press conference published on the Bundestag group’s YouTube channel, AfD co-chair Alice Weidel said the war between Russia and Ukraine should be brought to an end.

Weidel also said Germany should not provide military or financial assistance to Kyiv.

She further stated that Ukraine must explain its role in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. “Ukraine should pay compensation to the Federal Republic of Germany because enormous damage was inflicted on us and on all of Europe through the loss of cheap fossil fuel energy,” she said.

Explosions struck the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 Russian gas export pipelines on Sept. 26, 2022. Gas flows through the first pipeline had already been halted due to maintenance work, while the second pipeline had never entered service.

Three of the four pipeline strings were damaged. Operator Nord Stream AG said it could not estimate when the pipelines might be repaired because of the sabotage.

In the period following the attack, AfD advocated bringing the Nord Stream pipelines back into operation and called for those responsible for the sabotage to be held accountable.

In a statement issued in May 2026, the party said it would repair and reopen the Nord Stream pipelines if it won the election scheduled for September.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that gas deliveries through the remaining intact string of Nord Stream 2 could be resumed at any time.

Documents published by Germany’s Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in January 2026 stated that the explosions targeting the Nord Stream pipelines were highly likely to have been carried out on the instructions of another state and that Ukraine was the most probable suspect.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, rejected allegations in November 2025 that his country was linked to the Nord Stream sabotage, saying Ukraine had no role in the incident.

Digital ministers from the D9+ group, which represents some of the European Union’s most digitally advanced member states, are pushing for a unified approach to address growing concerns over children’s safety on social media.

In a joint declaration, 14 EU tech ministers led by Luxembourg called on the European Commission to adopt “a truly European approach to protecting children online” by coordinating the enforcement of EU rules governing child safety.

They also urged the bloc to develop “a common approach to the digital age of majority across the EU,” referring to a potential union-wide age limit for accessing social media platforms.

Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated that the bloc could consider introducing legislation to this effect as early as this summer.

However, the declaration also highlights a dissenting voice. Estonia, which has emerged as a prominent critic of EU social media restrictions, raised objections to horizontal age restrictions at the EU level and stated that it does not support provisions aimed at enforcing age limits on digital platforms.

Estonia also opposed what it described as “disproportionate” age verification measures that would require all users to verify their age and identity.

In contrast, the remaining members of the D9+ group supported “privacy-preserving EU-wide age verification” in the declaration.

This position appears to reference the EU’s own age-verification technology intended for national implementation, which the Commission asserts is secure from a privacy perspective.

The member states also demanded that online platforms adapt their interfaces based on the age and vulnerability of their users.

This refers to ensuring platforms are safe by design and age-appropriate by default.

Furthermore, the ministers requested that the Digital Fairness Act (DFA)—a set of rules aimed at strengthening online consumer protection by tackling dark patterns and addictive designs, which the Commission plans to propose by the end of the year—be a “targeted” instrument within the context of the bloc’s broader regulatory simplification efforts.

The declaration also addresses other digital policy areas, with a particular emphasis on the EU’s technology sovereignty following the Commission’s adoption of a major microchip and cloud proposal last week.

The 14 digital ministers demanded that technology sovereignty be pursued “openly,” calling for measures to ensure that digital sovereignty does not become “solely an EU-specific vision.”

This phrasing implies that the D9+ countries would reject EU digital infrastructure support measures that could be accused of being protectionist by excluding foreign providers.

The Commission’s draft Cloud and AI Development Act allows foreign cloud providers the flexibility to obtain certification as EU partners at nearly the highest sovereignty levels.

The D9+ group includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.