China News Service, Beijing, April 8 (Sweet) Since the escalation of the situation in Russia and Ukraine, Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia one after another, ranging from the letter "Z", Russia's cat, to Russia's largest bank, President Vladimir Putin and his two daughters. The scope is very wide.

　　However, in addition to the dazzling sanctions, the West is quietly bypassing these areas: whether it is Russian energy, food, or luxury goods, countries are either divided, or they have left room for themselves...

Sanctions on coal?

Europe can't negotiate, Japan has to retreat

　　On April 5, local time, in the fifth round of sanctions proposals, the European Union proposed for the first time to restrict the Russian energy industry, and proposed to ban the import of coal worth 4 billion euros from Russia every year.

　　But the reality is that there are still differences of opinion within the EU, and the proposal is difficult to advance.

Image source: Screenshot of the Associated Press report.

　　According to sources, EU diplomats on April 6 failed to approve new sanctions against Russia proposed by the European Commission, and technical issues such as coal contracts remain to be resolved.

　　Germany, the EU's largest importer of Russian coal, has raised hopes to clarify whether the coal ban will affect existing contracts.

If the ban only applies to new contracts, Russia could still export coal to the EU for a long time.

　　At the same time, the Japanese government has also been revealed that it may abandon the ban on the import of coal from Russia in the latest round of sanctions against Russia.

15% of Japan's coal imports come from Russia.

　　It is reported that when Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Minister of Economy and Industry Hagi Ikuta Hikaru visited Europe, they have explained to various countries that Japan relies on imports of coal, etc., and "obtained a certain understanding".

Sanctions on oil and gas?

The US and Europe seem to have their own plans

　　Oil and natural gas are also the backbone of Russia's economy, and countries such as the United States and Europe still have their own "plans" for sanctions against them.

Data map: "Beixi-2" natural gas pipeline project landing facility pipeline.

　　At present, Europe has always been vague about how to sanction Russian oil and gas.

According to the political website Politico, EU countries are roughly divided into several factions in private discussions:

　　Countries such as Poland and the Baltic states are tough; countries led by Germany oppose the embargo; countries that are less reliant on Russian oil and gas, such as Belgium, have not called for measures.

　　The EU also hopes that countries will unite to deal with Putin's "ruble settlement order", but Hungarian Prime Minister Orban made it clear that "we have no problem with paying (gas) in rubles."

　　At the same time, although the European Union has imposed a series of financial sanctions on Russia, it has "quietly" released Gazprom, without imposing the severe sanctions that other Russian banks have encountered.

This means that European gas buyers can still open an account with the bank and have it buy rubles on their behalf.

　　On the other side of the Atlantic, the United States pushed Europe to be the “pioneer” of sanctions against Russia, while also leaving a buffer zone for itself: on the eve of the US oil ban on Russia taking effect on April 22, the scale of US oil imports increased significantly in the past week by 43% % to 100,000 barrels per day.

Sanctions on food?

Putin warns West of 'self-harm'

　　It is worth noting that the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia have also left room for its grain transportation.

　　After all, Russia is the world's largest exporter of wheat and a major producer of fertilizer supplies. Restrictions on Russian exports will undoubtedly have a major impact on food security.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also warned that Western sanctions have triggered a global food crisis and caused energy prices to soar.

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

　　To this end, although the EU claims to ban Russian-operated ships from entering EU ports, the transportation of certain agricultural products and food will be exempted.

　　On the other hand, Russian mineral fertilizers are excluded from possible sanctions under a general license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

International shipping companies such as Maersk have also confirmed that the Russian transport ban will not apply to essential and humanitarian supplies, including fertilizers.

Sanctioning luxury goods?

more or "symbolic"

　　Some Western countries have also announced a ban on the export of luxury goods to Russia, in order to crack down on Russian billionaires.

But looking into its actual impact, it is more or just "symbolic".

　　Australia is the latest country to join the ranks, announcing that it will ban the export of luxury goods to Russia, including wine, high-end cosmetics and auto parts.

But the Wall Street Journal cited wine as an example, saying Russia accounted for only a small percentage of Australian wine exports.

　　Like Australia, the Japanese government has also strengthened sanctions against Russia, and has banned the export of 19 types of luxury goods to Russia, including Japanese cars and jewelry, from April 5.

However, the person in charge of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan also admitted that the export value of the above-mentioned commodities to Russia is relatively low and has little impact on the Japanese economy.

(over)