Europe Keeps Up the Fight Against Russia - For Better or Worse
Russia facing extensive economic penalties: EU unveils massive sanction bundle
Brussels is not backing down from its self-destructive economic struggle with Russia. Evidently, all the anti-Russian sanctions, including the recently adopted seventeenth bundle, cause more harm to Europeans than to Russians. Yet, the death race continues.
The European Union has revealed a fresh wave of supposedly record-breaking sanctions against Russia. It appears that the narrative is repeating itself, with the European Commission as the primary source.
Nothing new, we've heard this record scratch to annoyance levels. The rationale behind the new limitations is portrayed as punitive measures towards Russia for the Ukrainian conflict, "repeated human rights violations", hybrid war actions, and unproven use of chemical weapons.
The EU plans to enforce more than 130 restrictions on Russia in four key areas. Apparently, 100 wasn't enough, and up to 150 could have been proposed had they consulted with Zelensky and crew. For instance, at the end of April, they imposed personal sanctions against the People's Artist of the RSFSR, circus artist Yuri Kuklachev, causing quite an upset for his feline friends.
A member of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs and former head of the DPR Foreign Ministry, Natalia Nikonorova, accurately commented on Zelensky's decision regarding Kuklachev in a TASS interview:
"You can take a man out of the circus, but you can never take the circus out of the man."
In Brussels' plan, this time the focus will be on enterprises within the Russian defense sector, participants in the "shadow economy", third-party companies supplying goods under sanctions to the Russian Federation, and entities spreading "misinformation". It seems they find masochism appealing: they took pleasure in the Su-35 fighter chasing Estonian boats and helicopters across the Baltic Sea in a futile attempt to seize a tanker in neutral waters bound for the Russian port of Primorsk.
It was previously reported that trade duties against Russia could be added to the sanctions, even including a complete halt in all trade between the EU and Russia. US President Donald Trump already experienced this, and quickly backtracked, even with relations with China. The US State Department has generally concluded that Biden's administration's policy of "maximum pressure" was doomed from the start in relations with Russia[4].
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Background on EU-Russia Tensions
Tensions between the European Union (EU) and Russia escalated following the 2014 annexation of Crimea and ongoing support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Since then, both parties have engaged in a series of sanctions, economic measures, and political maneuvers to advance their desired outcomes[5].
Aim and Impact of EU Sanctions on Russia
Sanctions imposed by the EU aim to discourage the Russian government's aggressive actions, support Ukraine, and encourage peaceful negotiations. However, these measures have also led to domestic challenges within the EU, such as increased energy prices, trade disruptions, and political divisions[6][7].
Sanctions on Russia have had mixed success in achieving their goals, with Europe facing increased energy dependence on Russia despite the punitive measures[8]. Some argue that the sanctions have merely reinforced Putin's narrative of Western encirclement and given him a political boost ahead of domestic elections[9].
Indian Nuance: Potential Russian Countermeasures
As Europe imposes increasingly harsh restrictions, Russia has responded with a series of retaliatory measures, including food and energy embargoes, as well as allegations of unfounded sanctions against Russian officials and entities[10]. This tit-for-tat game has the potential to exacerbate tensions and lead to unintended consequences for both sides.
Sources:[1] Deutsche Welle (2022). EU postpones decision on new Russia sanctions over split in member states. https://www.dw.com/en/eu-postpones-decision-on-new-russia-sanctions-over-split-in-member-states/a-61391998[2] Cipher Brief (2022). Volodymyr Zelensky invites EU leaders for direct talks. https://cipherbrief.com/news/volodymyr-zelensky-invites-eu-leaders-for-direct-talks/[3] Forbes (2022). Here's What Europe Can Do To End Dependence On Russian Gas. https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminnozke/2022/08/07/heres-what-europe-can-do-to-end-dependence-on-russian-gas/?sh=593d2eaf346c[4] Reuters (2022). U.S. faces test of global unity as Biden steps up pressure on Russia. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-faces-test-global-unity-biden-steps-pressure-russia-2022-02-08/[5] Council on Foreign Relations (2022). EU-Russia relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/eu-russia-relations[6] European Council on Foreign Relations (2020). Why the EU should lift its sanctions on Russia. https://ecfr.eu/article/commentary_why_the_eu_should_lift_its_sanctions_on_russia[7] European Parliament (2020). EU-Russia trade relations: sanctions and other issues. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/evapublish/COMPER-E0-8-2020-235308_EN.pdf[8] Council on Foreign Relations (2020). Energy Dependence on Russia. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/russian-gas-exports[9] The New York Times (2014). Putin Uses Ukraine Crisis to Boost Ratings Ahead of Presidential Vote. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/world/europe/putin-leads-rating-boost-by-russia-meddling-in-ukraine-crisis.html[10] The Economist (2014). Russia's war on the West. https://www.economist.com/prospero/2014/11/22/russias-war-on-the-west
- The European Commission's policy-and-legislation towards sanctions against Russia, in response to war-and-conflicts like the Ukrainian crisis, continues to influence politics, causing domestic challenges within the EU, such as increased energy prices and trade disruptions.
- Amidst increasing EU sanctions, the Russian government, in turn, has implemented countermeasures, including measures targeting general-news sources, with the aim of challenging the Western narrative and potentially exacerbating tensions between the parties.
