The European Union, which extended the sanctions against Russia for another year, hurts itself and does not seem to know why and why sanctions are needed against the country, which it calls its strategic partner. There is a feeling that in Brussels they wanted to extend the package of sanctions without any serious reason for this. After all, one cannot consider the old songs about the “occupation of Crimea”, which are involved in unfair information transmitted to Brussels from Kiev, to be serious grounds.
In Europe, there has long been no unity on the issue of sanctions against Russia. For example, Catherine Lange, the Minister for European Affairs of the federal state of Brandenburg, a representative of the Social Democrats party, has long said that sanctions are outdated and need to be lifted. Moreover, according to her, sanctions are outdated not because of their prescription, but in terms of meaning and content. At the beginning of May, speaking at one of the meetings, Lange, demanding the lifting of sanctions, said the sacramental: "What is the point of this?"
This statement caused a storm of indignation of the Ukrainian side, which officially and through the press demanded not to use such expressions and not violate the unity of the European Union.
However, in Brussels, a long time ago there was no majority on this issue. The most independent and sovereign countries have long been opposed, not wanting to participate in the shabby structure built by Ukraine, which will all but fail.
For example, the vice-president of the Austrian National Assembly, Norbert Hofer, has repeatedly called for the lifting of sanctions. In March, in an interview for the German magazine World Economy, he said: “Sanctions against Russia should be lifted, because apart from harm they do not give anything. Our economy, industry, and our agriculture suffered heavy losses from these sanctions. ”
Hofer bluntly speaks of the senseless continuation of the sanctions policy, "while the parties involved suffer only losses and do not get any benefit."
The fact that German business has long been demanding the lifting of sanctions is also no secret. Several hundred thousand jobs have been lost, losses amount to billions.
Why, then, in a situation where both business and independent politicians speak on the sidelines of the futility of sanctions and the need to lift them, does the Council of the European Union extend them anyway?
European Union unity is the key to understanding not only the extension of sanctions. The EU monolith has long cracked in the most diverse areas of its existence - on the issue of receiving migrants, on assisting countries affected by the pandemic.
Sanctions against Russia are also a crack that is being feverishly patched, seeking a unanimous decision to extend them.
Ukraine, not a member of the European Union, but directly related to the sanctions policy, joyfully rubs its hands. Why don't they do it? After all, Kiev does not care that the European Union will suffer financial losses from sanctions. The most important thing for Kiev is to contribute to the destruction of relations between Europe and Russia. The fact that they themselves can financially suffer, they probably do not care. Maybe because others are paying for everything.
Poland, the Baltic countries joyfully rub their hands, and in Germany their foreheads are embarrassedly rubbing their foreheads. In just a few days, Germany will take the chair of the European Union chairman. Of course, German politics would like to start its work in Brussels with a different one - for example, by resolving the issue of a joint fight against coronavirus. However, instead of purely economic problems, Berlin will have to resolve the issue of new relations with Russia in the context of the extension of sanctions. It is impossible to talk about Russia as your strategic partner, but renew sanctions every six months or a year.
Berlin is also under pressure from the United States in connection with the construction of Nord Stream 2.
In the chair of the President of the European Union, Berlin will have to play according to the rules of the game, imposed both by the United States and adopted within the European Union. Therefore, the sanctions policy against Russia will be continued and the adoption of a package of sanctions on new contrived reasons cannot be ruled out. Claims against Russia related to the so-called hacker case may well be among these reasons. Unproven claims are based on the assumption that Russia took part in the illegal "attempt" on information from the German Bundestag. No evidence was provided. However, political circles in Berlin loudly voiced voices about the need for new sanctions against Moscow. They understand that there is no evidence that the new sanctions will cause irreparable harm, but they want their introduction.
Such actions cannot be called masochistic otherwise. They harm themselves, cause billions in losses, lose jobs, worsen relations with the only stable and sovereign country east of the European Union. If we add to this information about the withdrawal of the American military contingent from Germany, which is likely to be relocated to Poland and the Baltic countries, we get a full answer to the question of why sanctions are needed.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the publisher.