Is it possible that the ninth package of sanctions from the European Union against Russia for its war of aggression against Ukraine approved this Friday will achieve a Totally opposite result to what it supposedly seeks? That instead of hardening the punishment against the oligarchs who support the regime of Vladimir Putin did I soften them? That’s at least what they argue Poland and Lithuaniathe toughest member countries against the Kremlin, which for several days have blocked the approval of these restrictive measures.
The reality is that the package in question (which in the end achieved unanimous support during the European Council this Thursday) relaxes sanctions against Russian oligarchs active in trade in agricultural products. The stated objective is to facilitate the transit of fertilizers through the large European ports to non-EU countries.
This exemption was claimed by Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal on the grounds of giving “legal certainty” to European companies and ensure that EU sanctions do not hinder the global trade in food and fertilizer, or in any way contribute to famine.
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The Commission of Ursula von der Leyen denies that this is an “exemption” or “relaxation” of sanctions against Russia. defines it as a “very limited derogation” which tries to respond to a series of “practical problems” that have occurred in recent months.
“We have passed extremely ambitious and far-reaching sanctions against Russia, which have hit the Russian economy hard. But we have always said two things. The first is that sanctions must do more harm to Russia than to usbecause we must preserve our own interests,” explained Von der Leyen spokesman Eric Mamer.
“In addition, we must ensure that our partners in the rest of the world can get what they need in the field of energy and food. For this reason, whenever necessary, we will provide the necessary clarifications in order to guarantee that this is the case,” the spokesperson alleges.
What then is the problem that this repeal is intended to solve for the Russian oligarchs? Faced with accusations from the Kremlin that EU sanctions are responsible for hindering the arrival of food in developing countries, especially in Africa, Brussels insists that the European restrictive measures do not affect agricultural products or fertilizers at all From Russia. There is only a quantitative limit to potassium, which has not been exhausted.
Shipments of Russian fertilizer pass through the port of Rotterdam
The difficulty arises when some Russian oligarchs blacklisted by the EU have tried to use European ports (such as Rotterdam) to export fertilizer to non-EU countries. Having frozen their accounts in Europe, these oligarchs have a hard time paying port operatorswho in turn doubt how to act so that they are not accused of helping to avoid the sanctions.
The ninth package of sanctions against Moscow includes a partial repeal that will allow unfreeze the assets of these oligarchs so that they can pay for the services associated with the export of fertilizers, for example to a European port authority. The governments of the country in question will be responsible for determining to what extent they allow sanctioned Russians to access their accounts. “It is a very specific derogation, not a general exemption, they do not leave the black list,” community sources explain.
Lost opportunity
The sanctions package does not name the oligarchs who will benefit from this “repeal”. He is speaking generally of people with an important role in the business of agricultural products and fertilizers. But the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawieckihas pointed specifically to Viatcheslav Kantor, a large shareholder of the publicly traded Acron Group and one of the largest fertilizer manufacturers in Russia.
“Is closely linked to President Vladimir Putin, a relationship that has helped him preserve his considerable fortune. He has openly expressed his support and friendship for President Putin on several occasions and enjoys good relations with the Kremlin. He is also one of the prominent Russian businessmen active in economic sectors that provide a substantial source of income to the Government of the Russian Federation.” explains the Official Journal of the EU to justify its inclusion in the black list of sanctions.
The 9th sanctions package was a missed opportunity. Sad that we had to spend so much time discussing derogations, not stronger sanctions.
Together with Poland we managed to secure optional security safeguards that close any loopholes. Lithuania will choose to keep the gates shut.—Gabrielius Landsbergis?? (@GLandsbergis) December 15, 2022
The opposition of Poland Y Lithuania to relax restrictions against Russian oligarchs kept in suspense the approval of the ninth package of sanctions on Russia. For several hours, it seemed that the summit of European leaders was going to end in failure. But in the end the two countries relented after obtaining guarantees that they will not be obliged to apply these derogations in their own ports.
“The ninth sanctions package has been a missed opportunity. It’s sad that we had to spend so much time discussing exceptions.not stronger sanctions,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Landsbergis wrote on Twitter. “Food security is important, but it should not be used as an excuse to relax sanctions against some Russian oligarchs because every day there are Ukrainian citizens who die under Russian bombs,” says the country’s president, Gitanas Nauseda.
