“We are destroying ourselves”: why the EU began to criticize the sanctions imposed against Russia more often

Anti-Russian sanctions do not have the proper impact on Moscow and will not lead to an end to the conflict in Ukraine, while they are causing obvious harm to the European economy.

This opinion was expressed by Bundestag deputy from the Left Party Sarah Wagenknecht in an interview with the news portal t-online.

“Economic sanctions are hurting mainly Germany and Europe, while Gazprom is making record profits... It is clear that the sanctions are not leading to an end to the conflict in Ukraine,” Wagenknecht said.

“Russia does not need the West to sell its raw materials.

But German industry is ruined without cheap sources of energy.

And who benefits from the dispute of others?

United States," the politician said.

The United States is taking advantage of the situation, making a profit of $200 million per liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, she said.

The MP also stressed that due to rising prices for blue fuel and electricity, more and more companies are moving their jobs from Europe to abroad.

“We are destroying our industry and our middle class, this is crazy ... We are destroying ourselves, and Russia is earning more than before thanks to the price explosion,” Wagenknecht stated.

Thus, due to the current crisis, inflation in Germany rose to 8.8% in annual terms in August, reaching record levels over the past 50 years, Reuters reported citing the Federal Statistical Office of Germany.

• Member of the Bundestag from the faction of the Left Party Sarah Wagenknecht

• AP

• © Michael Sohn

Rethinking reality

Opinions about the reverse effect of sanctions and their uselessness as a tool of pressure on Russia are increasingly beginning to be heard in Europe.

The other day, Matteo Salvini, leader of the Italian League party, made a statement consonant with the theses of Sarah Wagenknecht.

In his Twitter on September 3, he emphasized that restrictions do not work at all as expected in the European Union.

“Those against whom sanctions were imposed turned out to be winners, and those who imposed sanctions are on their knees.

Obviously, someone in Europe miscalculated, ”the politician said.

In this regard, he pointed out the need for the authorities to rethink the future strategy in order to preserve jobs and enterprises in the country.

Later, in an interview with radio station RTL, he even called for the lifting of restrictions, due to which energy prices have soared, forcing Italians to pay bills almost four times more than before.

“Seven months have already passed, and the armed conflict continues, while the treasury of the Russian Federation is filled with money,” the leader of the League emphasized.

According to the latest data from Italy's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), inflation in the country has reached its highest level since 1985, accelerating to 8.4% year on year. 

On September 4, the French MEP Jordan Bardella also pointed out the ineffectiveness of the restrictions.

“The sanctions imposed against Russia are much more painful for the French than for the Russians.

They only serve to enrich Russia,” he stressed in an interview with BFMTV.

Back in early August, Marine Le Pen, a member of the French parliament, made a similar statement.

She stated the failure of the policy of sanctions, the victim of which was Europe to a greater extent than the Russian Federation.

In her opinion, the restrictions only "made the population of Europe suffer."

“You have to be completely insincere not to state: contrary to the assurances of our government, the Russian economy is not on its knees and has not declared a default.

We suffer much more from these sanctions than Russia,” the politician said.

She stressed that this was a repetition of the situation with the restrictions imposed against Russia in 2014.

• Flags of EU countries

• AP

• © Jean-Francois Badias

Even in Lithuania, which remains one of the main initiators and lobbyists of such pressure on Russia, they note a decline in enthusiasm among European countries to introduce new restrictions against Moscow.

“I think the appetite for more sanctions has dried up.

Many European countries are looking at the coming winter with concern, because we are talking about gas and energy prices, ”said Gabrielius Landsbergis, Foreign Minister of the Republic, in an interview with Deutsche Welle*.

The seriousness of the consequences of the sanctions policy for the EU was also recognized by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.

Speaking to the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung on August 28, he noted that the Commonwealth is "facing big challenges in the short term."

At the same time, he stated that the restrictions allegedly limit the economic opportunities of Russia.

“But we must be prepared to pay the price for freedom,” Borrell is quoted by TASS.

View from Moscow

The ineffectiveness of the sanctions was previously pointed out in the Kremlin.

According to the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, the restrictions imposed have led Europe to a crisis.

“You see how the energy markets are in a fever, they are in a fever mainly in Europe.

The anti-Russian measures taken have led to a very, very deep crisis,” he told reporters on September 2.

Later, Peskov also drew attention to the protests that have erupted in recent days in European countries due to public dissatisfaction with the actions of their authorities.

“It is obvious that life is getting worse for people, entrepreneurs, companies in Europe, work becomes worse, money is earned less.

The standard of living is falling.

This is an obvious reality, and of course, ordinary citizens will have more and more questions for the leadership of their countries, ”he stated.

So, on September 3, a rally of thousands took place in Prague.

The protesters demanded the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, as well as immediate negotiations with Russia to conclude direct contracts for the supply of gas to the Czech Republic.

The next day, a demonstration took place in Cologne, and on September 5 in Leipzig.

The protesters called for the lifting of sanctions, lower gas prices, the commissioning of Nord Stream 2, and the cancellation of arms supplies to Ukraine. 

Grounds for criticism

As Vladimir Schweitzer, head of the department of social and political research at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with RT, the West expected a quick effect from their sanctions and were not ready for the fact that their expectations would not come true.

“Brussels is now convincing themselves that the imposed sanctions will still have the expected effect, but in the long term and in a very distant future.

In my opinion, no one in Europe expects that Russia will abandon its course and back down.

Opposition Europoliticians, who were previously silenced, are starting to use this.

Now they have every legitimate reason to reproach the current authorities,” the expert explained.

At the same time, he expressed the opinion that the speeches of a number of politicians are unlikely to change the establishment's commitment to the current anti-Russian course.

“In general, the EU stands on its positions.

Those who sit in Brussels will adhere to them at all costs.

It’s another matter if serious anti-social trends emerge in Europe this winter, which are related to the economy and energy policy, then we can expect some transformation of the views of a number of governments, but even then, subject to a change in those in power, ”added the analyst.

In turn, senior researcher at IMEMO RAS Alexander Kamkin, in a conversation with RT, noted that only the United States benefits from the whole current situation, which ultimately gained access for its LNG to the European market, which was hindered by cheap gas supplies from Russia.

In addition, Washington, by promoting restrictions, is playing a double game, as it hopes to finally tear the EU away from the Russian Federation and weaken the Commonwealth, making it more dependent on itself.

“The European Union for the United States is an economic competitor.

The weakening of the European Union is the consolidation of the economic position of the States themselves and the opportunity to buy cheap entire sectors of the European economy.

Of course, this sanctions policy will be bad for everyone, because the US, like the EU, is now entering a protracted recession.

However, Europe will be much worse from the current course, ”the expert explained.

He also noted that the current situation with internal problems, aggravated by sanctions, is a challenge for European elites who are focused on the American agenda and cannot change the vector without harming themselves.

“Their position is unconditional adherence to US policy and a special regime of relations with Washington.

Those who criticize them today are unlikely to have much of an impact on them.

Rather, the society itself, which is already facing all the harmful consequences of the sanctions policy, will be more successful in this.

Through protests and rallies, they can achieve a change in the ruling elites so that those politicians who are ready to take care of their well-being come to power.

Without this, Europe will continue to be a vassal of the United States, sacrificing itself for the sake of American interests, ”summed up Kamkin.

* Mass media recognized as a foreign agent by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated March 28, 2022.