The EU's 20th sanctions package targets Russian LNG trade, banning short-term spot purchases this year and long-term contracts by January 2027. However, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven global LNG prices sharply higher, making EU sanctions increasingly costly for European consumers and businesses.

The operation in Venezuela is less about domestic regime change and more about whether the United States can still act unilaterally without triggering retaliation. The response—or lack thereof—will signal whether United States military primacy remains uncontested.