The European Commission has proposed Russian primary aluminium imports be included in its 16th package of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, the proposal document seen by Reuters showed.

Aluminum rose in London as the European Union readied a proposal to gradually ban imports of the metal from Russia.

The European Union is considering a ban on Russian aluminum imports, along with other sanctions, but faces growing opposition from some member states.

The European Commission did not propose a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas in its latest package of sanctions because member states raised concerns about first securing alternatives including from the United States,

Russia exported a record volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to calculations by RBC based on data from the analytics firm Kpler. The country shipped 33.6 million tons abroad last year, an increase of four percent from 2023 and two percent more than in 2022,

Instead, the proposal will halt the supply of Russian LNG to EU terminals not connected to the bloc's gas system, which will not significantly impact the majority of LNG imports. The sanctions will also target Russian oil tankers within the so-called "shadow fleet,

The European Union renewed its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia on Monday for another six months after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for assurances about energy security. "Europe delivers: EU Foreign Ministers just agreed to extend again the sanctions on Russia,

The EU countries are still agreeing on the specific details of what will be included in the 16th package of sanctions against Russia, and the work on it is expected to be completed in February. Source: Kaja Kallas,