“A radical change has not yet occurred”: the EU is not going to lift sanctions against Russia in the context of a global pandemic

The sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia do not prevent Moscow from fighting the coronavirus. This was announced at a video briefing in Brussels by European Commission spokesman Peter Stano.

Thus, he commented on the letter of a group of deputies of the European Parliament, which called on the European Commission to prevent the lifting of sanctions against Russia under the pretext of combating the coronavirus pandemic.

He also explained that the EU sanctions regime allows Brussels to make exceptions on humanitarian issues if necessary. Stano recalled that EU diplomat head Josep Borrel last week issued a declaration stating that restriction should not impede the supply of goods needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The declaration in question was published on April 3. In it, the politician called for a rally to fight the coronavirus and to suspend all military conflicts. He also emphasized that the sanctions used by several governments should not interfere with efforts to combat the pandemic.

• Josep borrell
• Reuters
• © Vincent Kessler

“The European Union emphasizes that sanctions should not impede the delivery of the necessary equipment and materials necessary to combat coronavirus and limit its spread throughout the world. The European Union emphasizes that UN and EU sanctions provide for humanitarian exceptions. The application of these exceptions will make it possible to ensure that sanctions do not interfere with the global fight against COVID-19, ”said Borrel.

At the same time, he noted the importance of sanctions, as they “continue to play an irreplaceable role in countering violations of international law, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, getting weapons into war zones, as well as in combating human rights violations and undermining peace processes.”

Recall that the EU imposed sanctions against Russia in 2014 against the backdrop of the growing armed confrontation in the Donbass between Kiev’s security forces and the militia of the DPR and LPR, as well as the reunification of Crimea with Russia, for which the majority of the peninsula voted.

Russia has repeatedly noted that it is not a party to the conflict in the Donbass and has introduced reciprocal restrictions.

Message of the nineteen

In his response, Stano actually repeated the words from a letter from 19 deputies of the European Parliament addressed to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell and the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

In a statement quoted by the media, parliamentarians called on the EU leadership to exclude the possibility of lifting or reviewing sanctions against Russia because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“There were calls for a global ceasefire in order to curb the pandemic and ensure the provision of medical services in the frontline areas. We, members of the European Parliament, are all for solidarity and the peaceful resolution of ongoing conflicts. However, we want to emphasize with this letter that not all existing sanctions prevent the countries in respect of which they are imposed from acquiring medical equipment and essential goods. In particular, we demand to reject any possibility of revising or lifting EU sanctions against the Russian Federation in connection with a pandemic, ”the statement says.

• The meeting of the European Parliament
• Reuters
• © Francois Lenoir

According to deputies, the sanctions imposed by Brussels against Russia do not impede the fight against the spread of coronavirus infection and relate mainly to the sale of weapons and dual-use goods, as well as the transfer of important technologies, including in the oil industry.

The parliamentarians emphasized that sanctions can be reviewed only if there is significant progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements. In this matter, they believe, Moscow has not yet responded to the "constructive steps" allegedly taken by Kiev. What steps are in question, the deputies did not explain.

In addition, the authors of the appeal accused Russia of carrying out a disinformation campaign: Moscow allegedly misrepresents the pandemic data in order to make Brussels incapable of coping with the coronavirus and destroy European unity and solidarity.

Recall that previously a number of European countries criticized the EU leadership for working in a pandemic. For example, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid believes that the European Union is not coping with its main task - to ensure the functioning of a single market.

The EU is also unhappy with Italy’s inaction, which was among the countries most affected by the spread of coronavirus. According to the representative of Rome to the EU, Maurizio Massari, the inaction of Brussels in relation to his country demonstrated the lack of unity in the European Union.

According to Konstantin Voronov, Head of Regional Problems and Conflicts at the Department of European Political Studies, IMEMO RAS, a letter from the European MPs indicates that there are different opinions in the EU regarding anti-Russian sanctions. In these conditions, supporters of the preservation of restriction against Moscow have to defend their point of view with the help of such appeals.

“This letter and the discussion in the context of the pandemic reflect a certain schism, a gap in opinions and views between the ruling circles of the EU and the leading countries. The problem of sanctions today for a certain part of the Western ruling circles is a test test on which the ideology of the ruling circles is based. In EU countries, moods are changing, many states, and more and more, believe that this sanctions policy has exhausted itself and is counterproductive. However, a radical change has not yet occurred and is unlikely to happen in the near future, ”the analyst said.

In turn, Vladimir Olenchenko, a senior fellow at the Center for European Studies at the Institute for World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that, despite the different points of view, there was no force in the EU that would block the extension of sanctions.

“Today in Europe there is a struggle between sensible European politicians who are interested in maintaining normal relations with Russia and the Euro-Atlantic lobby, for which the basis and content of political activity lies in confrontation with the Russian Federation. Theoretically, we can expect a relaxation of the sanctions regime, but this issue should be resolved by consensus in the EU. So far, no country has voted against Russian sanctions when discussing the issue, ”he said.

At the same time, Voronov believes that, despite the sanctions, the EU and Russia will continue to cooperate in the fight against coronavirus.

“Fundamentally, sanctions do not affect this. If EU countries need equipment, then Russia can provide it. What happened to Italy. I think reciprocal help is possible, but, fortunately, it is not needed now. Today, Moscow is ready to help those countries that need it, ”the expert concluded.