politics
February 18, 2026
‘High-stakes fight’ erupts in EU over Russian steel
The European Parliament is heading for a fight with several EU countries over a proposed ban on Russian steel imports, according to Euronews
TL;DR
- EU lawmakers are attempting to ban Russian steel imports as part of sanctions over Ukraine.
- Several EU member states, including Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Denmark, are resisting the ban.
- These countries rely on Russian semi-finished steel for further processing.
- The European Parliament is attaching the steel ban to a bill renewing EU steel safeguards to bypass potential vetoes.
- This maneuver allows the ban to pass with a qualified majority instead of unanimous support.
- Current EU sanctions already ban finished Russian steel products, with semi-finished products permitted under a quota system phasing out by 2028.
- Swedish MEP Karin Karlsbro is leading the campaign, noting annual Russian steel imports are worth approximately €1.7 billion.