The European Union is preparing to adopt sanctions against Israeli settlers and Hamas. At play is a turning point in politics after the fall of Orbán and a new foreign line of the Union.
The European Union plans to introduce new sanctions against Israeli settlers, which should be approved as early as Monday. The move is meant to be a response to increasing violence against Palestinians and the continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, political agreement between the member states is expected. “I hope that we will be able to reach an agreement on sanctions against aggressive settlers,” Kallas said before the meeting of EU foreign ministers.
- The European Union is preparing sanctions against Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians.
- The political agreement of the member states on sanctions is expected already on Monday.
- Hungary’s turnaround after the accession of Péter Magyar unblocked the negotiations on sanctions.
- Seven Israeli settlers or organizations and representatives of Hamas will be added to the list.
- Kaja Kallasová rejected the role of Gerhard Schröder as a mediator proposed by Putin.
Previous efforts to adopt sanctions were blocked by Hungary under the leadership of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. However, after the change of government and the accession of Péter Magyar, the situation changed, which made it possible to reopen this issue. Seven settlers or settler organizations should be included on the sanctions list. In addition, the EU plans to impose sanctions on representatives of the Palestinian militant movement Hamas.
New sanctions on the horizon
During Monday’s meeting of foreign ministers, Kallasová also commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder act as a mediator in the negotiations between Russia and Europe on the war in Ukraine. However, she rejected this proposal. “If we allowed Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, it would not be very wise,” Kallas said. She emphasized that Schröder was a long-term lobbyist for Russian state-owned enterprises and his participation could lead to a conflict of interest.
Putin said over the weekend that he would prefer Schröder as a mediator, recalling his long-standing close relationship with the Kremlin. Schröder, 82, has held key positions in Russian energy projects since leaving office, raising questions about his independence. However, Kallas emphasized that the EU should first align its own goals before any negotiations with Russia.
The EU rejects Schröder
At the same time, the head of EU diplomacy pointed out that the member states must first discuss among themselves what topics they want to open with Russia. “Before we negotiate with Russia, we should clarify among ourselves what we want to talk about,” she added. This issue will be the subject of informal negotiations of EU foreign ministers, which will take place in the coming days.
