Lithuania's Prez Sounds Off: Merz's Abandoned Threat of Sanctions on Moscow — A Problem
Unrealized Sanction Threat by Merz Toward Moscow Troubles Lithuanian President - The European Union actively pursues the execution of the Paris Climate Agreement terms.
German politician Friedrich Merz recently hit Ukraine's capital Kyiv alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. They issued an ultimatum to Moscow: comply with a 30-day ceasefire orbrace forextensive sanctions. Moscow chose to let the deadlinepass, and discussions about the 18th EU sanctions package against Russia continue.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda threw shade at the EU's slow response. In an interview, he argued the 18th EU sanctions package should be more comprehensive. "That means we need to target all energy companies funding the Russian budget," he asserted. "Nord Stream, Rosatom, Gazprom, Lukoil."
He didn't stop there. Nauseda called for the remaining Russian banks to be ousted from the international payment system Swift and for the rogue fleet of ships to be sanctioned. "Otherwise, they'll take us for softies and think Europe isn’t ready to make bold decisions," he warned in the "Bild am Sonntag".
Nauseda expressed concerns over the security risk to NATO. He stated, "Russia won't stop with Ukraine. It's about a threat to us all." He continued, "That's why it's smart to stick together." Interestingly, Lithuania shares a border with Russia's ally Belarus.
- Friedrich Merz — German politician
- Threat of Sanctions — on Moscow
- Russia — and its ongoing conflict in Ukraine
- Gitanas Nauseda — Lithuania's President
- Moscow — and its strategies
- Kyiv — and the ultimatum
- EU — discussing the 18th sanctions package
- Lithuania — and its geopolitical position
- CDU — associating with Merz
- France — together with its President Emmanuel Macron
- Prime Minister — Keir Starmer from the UK and Donald Tusk from Poland
- BamS — ambiguous interview outlet
Behind the Scenes:
The proposed 18th EU sanctions package against Russia includes several comprehensive measures aimed at pressuring Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. Key aspects of the package involve energy companies and the banking sector:- Energy Sector Measures - Nord Stream Pipelines: Proposal to ban the Nord Stream pipelines, aiming to prevent Russia from generating future revenue. - Shadow Fleet: Expansion of the blacklist of Russian "shadow fleet" tankers, adding another 77 vessels to restrict their ability to dock in ports and erode Russia's oil transport capabilities. - Oil Price Cap: Proposal to lower the price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $45 per barrel, which would significantly reduce Russia's oil revenue.
- Banking Sector Measures
- Russian Banks and SWIFT: Full transaction ban on further 22 Russian banks from the SWIFT international banking system. This move will further isolate Russia's financial institutions.
- Specific Companies
- Gazprom and Lukoil: Energy companies likely to be indirectly affected by the broader measures targeting Russia's energy exports and revenues.
- Rosatom: The focus on broader energy sector sanctions could potentially impact Rosatom's operations or cooperation with European companies.
Challenges Ahead:
The EU faces hurdles in implementing these sanctions due to potential vetoes from member states such as Hungary and Slovakia, which have raised concerns over their economies[1]. Securing unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states is necessary for sanctions to take effect.
The German politician Friedrich Merz, a member of the CDU, recently issued an ultimatum to Moscow, along with the French President, British Prime Minister, and Polish Prime Minister, calling for a 30-day ceasefire or risk extensive sanctions over Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, the 18th EU sanctions package against Russia, discussed by the European Union, is slow to materialize and includes measures focusing on the energy sector such as banning Nord Stream pipelines and a transaction ban on 22 Russian banks from the SWIFT international banking system. Lithuania's President, Gitanas Nauseda, has expressed concerns that the sanctions should be more comprehensive by targeting all energy companies funding the Russian budget, including Nord Stream, Gazprom, Rosatom, and Lukoil, as well as the rogue fleet of ships and the remaining Russian banks in Swift. Nauseda argues that the EU needs to make bold decisions to avoid being perceived as soft in the face of potential geopolitical threats, especially considering Lithuania's geopolitical position sharing a border with Russia's ally Belarus, amid the ongoing crisis and political tensions.
