EU Considers New Approach to Sanctions Against Russia

The European Union is considering changing the way it imposes sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Instead of large sanctions packages, it could more frequently approve smaller, targeted measures, for example following each Russian attack on civilians or civilian infrastructure. Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee stated this in an interview with Euractiv.

According to McEntee, adopting new packages is becoming increasingly difficult, as the sanctions also affect the economic interests of EU member states. The proposal for more frequent and incremental sanctions was submitted by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, and the European Commission is actively reviewing it, McEntee said.

The minister also emphasized that the EU must strike a balance between pressuring Russia and protecting its own economies.

These remarks come at a time when the United States is considering further tightening economic measures against Moscow, including the possibility of imposing high tariffs on importers of Russian oil and gas.

(mja)