The European Union is preparing to sanction Vladimir Medinsky, the Kremlin aide who has served as Russia’s lead negotiator in US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine. He would be one of the highest-profile additions to the bloc’s ever-expanding sanctions list, and he’s not the only target that should concern crypto markets.
The leaked draft of what would be the EU’s 21st sanctions package doesn’t just go after diplomats and propagandists. It proposes transaction bans on over 35 Russian banks and 11 crypto platforms believed to help Russian entities dodge Western economic restrictions.
What’s in the package
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the package on June 9, 2026, according to reporting from EUobserver, which cited a draft of the sanctions. The full package could be finalized by mid-July, though a slimmed-down “mini-package” may arrive as early as June 15.
Medinsky has been leading peace negotiations for Russia since at least 2022, including sessions in 2025 and meetings as recently as February 2026. If adopted, he would face EU travel bans and asset freezes. He already sits on sanctions lists maintained by the US and Canada, where he’s been designated since 2014 over disinformation campaigns related to Crimea and operations in eastern Ukraine.
