politics
EU faces crumbling support for new Russia sanctions
National capitals refuse to support measures that could hurt big companies
TL;DR
- EU member states are increasingly refusing to back new economic sanctions against Russia, demanding carve-outs to protect national industries and companies.
- Countries like Greece, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Portugal are either blocking proposed measures or seeking exceptions, weakening the EU's united front.
- The reluctance stems from concerns over the economic impact on EU companies still profiting from trade with Russia, jeopardizing the EU's strategy to support Ukraine.
- Disagreements have stalled negotiations for days, with specific demands including exceptions for transporting Russian LNG (Greece), continuing fish imports (Portugal and Germany), easing visa bans for Russian soldiers (France and Italy), and unfreezing Russian assets (Austria).
- Diplomats express concern that national interests are overriding the moral imperative and solidarity previously shown towards Ukraine, potentially rendering sanctions packages ineffective.
- The current resistance marks an unprecedented level of refusal to accept new proposals, indicating a potential end to the EU's ability to impose further significant sanctions on Russia.