Today, the EU and the UK have decided to enact new sanctions against Russia. This happened against the declaration of Donald Trump that he will not introduce new sanctions as such act would be harmful to the Ukrainian peace process.
“Putin has so far not put in place the full, unconditional ceasefire that President Trump has called for, and which President Zelenskyy endorsed over two months ago,” the Foreign Office said as the Guardian reports. Shortly afterwards the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the EU had approved sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet of about 200 vessels and that more sanctions were in the pipeline. “The longer Russia wages war, the tougher our response,” she said.
The escalation of EU and UK sanctions is the response to Russia’s refusal not to accept an unconditional ceasefire but to demand conditions for a ceasefire. Why should Russia do otherwise as Russia is moving forward in Ukraine.
Sanctions are a lower escalatory level of war. They can become devastatory for a country, eg. a blockade can be mortal. Sanctions target mainly the poor population and represent the hope of provoking social unrest and economic downturn within the enemy country to make it difficult to continue a war. This is the EU’s and UK’s intention. But the sanctions, so far, made not much of a change in the Russian economy and did not provoke any social movement what so ever. Instead Russia seems united and had turned its economy into resistance while income from sale of natural resources is flowing on sufficient levels.
In terms of Donald Trump, the EU and the UK contradict peace and prolong the time to a ceasefire.
Europe is in an advanced conflict with the US Administration about Ukraine and in open, almost military conflict with Russia. It is not at all a good position for Europe as the effects on the economy and the political situation will have important longterm effects. And for the first time since WWII, Europe is facing the risk of a major war, not a new world war, as the rest of the World (as well as the US) has no interest or even advantage to be involved.
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