Yaroslav Konoshchuk8:58 PM, January 29, 2026

The European Commission’s decision was published in the bloc’s official journal.

The EU has officially added Russia to its “blacklist” of countries with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing . The European Commission’s decision was published in the bloc’s Official Journal .

As EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas announced at a press conference , this decision will complicate transactions with Russian banks.

“The EU today blacklisted Russia due to money laundering risks. This will slow down and increase the costs of transactions with Russian banks,” she said.

The EU’s inclusion of Russia in the list of countries with a high risk of money laundering requires enhanced control by all EU banks over any financial transactions related to Russia.

EU sanctions against Russia

The EU’s intention to add Russia to its list of countries with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing became known in early December .

As Politico reported, despite the fact that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to suspend Russia’s membership following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it still hasn’t blacklisted the country due to opposition from BRICS countries. Previously, the EU coordinated its actions with the FATF, but in 2025, the bloc created its own anti-money laundering agency, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA).

On January 26, the European Council adopted a final decision on a gradual ban on Russian gas imports into member states. The last molecule of Russian gas is expected to cross the EU’s borders in 2027.

The bloc is also preparing the 20th anniversary package of sanctions against Russia , which will likely focus on limiting Russian revenues from energy exports.

(c)UNIAN 2026