Another EU failure regarding new Russia sanctions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Feb 2023 20:55

Representatives from the member nations are scheduled to meet again on Friday at 0900 GMT to try to reach an agreement.

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Reuters)

European Union countries failed to agree on a fresh batch of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, missing a planned deadline to have them in place for the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Reuters quoted diplomatic sources as saying.

To impose sanctions, all 27 EU member states must agree unanimously. According to the sources, Poland is opposing the package because of proposed exemptions to a ban on EU imports of Russian synthetic rubber.

Polish diplomats argued that the exclusions were so large that the sanctions would be rendered ineffectual. According to some sources, the exemptions were suggested to accommodate Italy and were supported by Germany.

Representatives from the member nations are scheduled to meet again on Friday at 0900 GMT to try to reach an agreement, as per the sources.

It is worth noting that the EU claims its tenth package of sanctions against Russia is intended to make financing the war more difficult and to deprive Russia of parts needed to develop war weapons.

The current package reportedly included trade sanctions worth 10 billion euros ($10.58 billion), sanctions against more Russian banks and what the West calls propagandists, not to mention the blacklisting of individuals tied to Iran's alleged supply of drones used by Moscow against Ukraine.

Other sources said, as quoted by Reuters, that Warsaw was still expected to approve the sanctions package on Friday because having a new package of penalties to announce on the anniversary was more essential than squabbling over its contents.

One thing is crystal clear: Disagreements over the tenth package of anti-Russian sanctions persisted among European Union delegates, who were unable to reach an agreement once again.