Russia is resourceful in circumventing European sanctions. However, Vladimir Putin’s regime is not enough. And here the third country is entering the game. For example, China, the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan and Kirgistan help Russia to avoid union measures.
Brussels, however, refuses to watch the Russian maneuver and therefore comes with another package of sanctions. This time it will also focus on non -Russian companies. The nineteenth penalty package was presented by the European Commission last week. Today (Friday) is discussed by diplomats of Member States at the EU Council.
Approval of 18. The package was blocked by Slovakia in early summer. Eventually, however, Robert Fico retreated and Brussels could exercise sanctions. According to the ex -minister for investment Petr Pat package, the Slovak government was given the opportunity to use part of the Eurofunds for household subsidies within the energy operator.
In the text we write what the European Union is preparing, whether Donald Trump will help it and finally how Slovakia and Robert Fico can approach the sanctions.
Expert: They must break pro -Russian countries
We discussed the nineteenth penalty package with an expert on European policy and publisher of the EurActiv portal Radovan Geist. “It is a continuation of the previous EU efforts to cut Putin’s regime from the sources of financing military aggression against Ukraine. The nature of the matter – the necessity of unanimous consent of Member States – shows that European sanctions are gradual, accepted in steps, often slower and smaller than necessary,” describes the mechanism of European sanctions.
The regular rhythm of the introduction of anti -Russian measures, as Geist recalls, has another aspect. “It is repeatedly necessary to overcome the resistance of the governments that have pro -Russian attitudes, or profit from business with Russia – including the Slovak one. It is a more significant shift that the penalty package also applies to the import of Russian LNG,” explains the publisher of the Slovak Union portal.
Robert Fico has already indicated that Slovakia does not have to agree with the package. It is unanimously approved at the EU Council for Foreign Affairs (Foreign Affairs Council). Thus, without the consent of Bratislava, the proposal will not pass.
Whip on non -Russian companies
The European Union wants to significantly expand the number of non -Russian companies that will not be able to trade with a twenty -seven. They want to prevent Moscow from circumventing the current sanctions. Aim to prevent Moscow bypassing the restrictions. Sanctions should also affect 120 new tankers, which are allegedly part of the shadow fleet transporting Russian fossil fuels by which the Kremlin bypasses the price ceiling of oil. Several banks, companies and energy companies are to get a stopwatch.
The Brussels Politico portal is on the design of an attachment to the nineteenth penalty package. It follows from the findings that the Union wants to focus on sanctions on the company operating in the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. According to the Brussels medium, the number of Chinese companies in the package is only “limited”, but as they point out, this can change during the negotiations.
Among the subjects that can ban in the Union, there are nine foreign banks, two petroleum commercial companies, special economic zones (zones of countries where other economic rights pay other than in the country itself. red), International Cryptocurrency Exchange and even Stablacoin digital currency regulated outside Russia (The type of cryptocurrency, which has a stable value against a particular asset, note. red.).
According to the head of the European Commission of Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, there are 45 companies from Russia and third countries. “We focus on the market holes that Russia is using to circumvent sanctions. We are introducing a ban on transactions for other Russian banks and for banks in third countries,” she said during a press conference on anti -Russian sanctions.
The proposal of sanctions from the workshop of the European Commission also wants to deprive the European market liquefied natural gas from Russia. “It is time to close the tap,” the proposed measures von der Leyen said at the end of last week.
Slovakia has already blocked sanctions
If the Slovak Prime Minister went on the way of blocking the penalty package, it would not be the first time. Bratislava obstructed the approval of the previous summer. The Slovak Prime Minister made the support of the package conditioned the changes in the legislative proposal of the repower EU, which counts on the cutting of the European twenty -seven from Russian energy. Finally, in agreement with Member States, Slovakia joined the support of sanctions.
What Fico allegedly reported in exchange for withdrawal of the sentence in the series for Aktuality.sk portal recently said exminister for investment and regional development Peter Balík. “There are high political agreements between our Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission that part of the Eurofunds will be used for energy,” said a former member of the clerical government.
Energotation for the next year should cost about EUR 435 million. “Basically, this money will drown on the energies,” commented the exminister of a part of the European funds, which, in his words, is to be released on state contributions to citizens in the field of energy.
Fico is already playing a similar strategy in this proposal. This time, it calls for a reduction in the price of electricity in Europe. “I will not support any 19 penalties package unless the European Commission submits proposals to support the automotive industry and energy prices in Europe. Above all, this is the price of electricity in Europe, which, according to many experts, we can set the one that will help us in Europe, and not one that devastates us,” Prime Minister on Thursday. How it can be set this price below no longer specified.
On Thursday, Fico also commented on the possible stopping of liquefied gas transit from Russia, which is part of the package. US President Donald Trump is pushing Europe to take gas just from the US. Trump claims that European countries must do this. “I understand that President Trump does what every politician should do, he should protect the national interests of his own state. Well, but if someone tells me that stop taking Russian gas and we don’t have an answer where we take another one.
It is not clear what he wants
Geist believes that it is not yet clear what Robert Fico will want in exchange for supporting the penalty package. However, he thinks that the Union will not hinder the process of stopping the taps from Russia. It is not clear what Fico really wants. “The Commission will now not brake plans for complete cut off from Russian energies – all the more so because it is also the US requirement,” notes the European policy expert Geist.
At the same time, it points out that the Commission wants to deflect the cutting process from Russian energies. “It proposes to cut off from Russian fossil fuels. Already, our government has the opportunity to overeat the European money to be used for investment in the future, ineffective flat or almost flat energy,” comments the analyst.
Will the Union against Russians Trump help?
In addition to the aforementioned demand for Trump, the US President formulated that it could go back to the occupied territories. Thus, during the General Assembly of the United Nations, it was now – a fundamental change in the opinion of the American war on the eastern borders of Slovakia. It is in contrast to the pursuit of peace negotiations, which also included a meeting with Putin in Alaska.
But it will depend on how long Trump will last. The analysts often refer to the head of the United States as devious. “If the words of the US President really signal a significant and sustainable turnover in the attitude of his administration to the war in Ukraine and the imperial plan of the Putin regime, it will also make it easier to promote harder and effective steps within the EU, including sanctions,” says Geist analyst.
