The European Union has approved a 19th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, the Danish presidency of the EU said on Wednesday (Oct 22). “We are very pleased to announce that we have just been notified by the remaining member state that it is now able to lift its reservation on the 19th sanctions package,” the presidency said in a statement, as reported by Reuters. The LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months, and long-term contracts will end on Jan 1, 2027. The timeline brings the EU’s full LNG embargo forward by a year from the European Commission’s previous roadmap to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The package also adds travel restrictions on Russian diplomats and sanctions against 117 vessels from Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” mostly oil tankers, bringing the total to 558 ships.