Sanctions Enforcement HQ Proposed in Brussels
Sanctions are a “fundamental part of the EU’s geopolitical toolbox,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.
Sanctions are a “fundamental part of the EU’s geopolitical toolbox,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.
The episode highlights an apparent shortcoming in Brussels’ sanctions policies—as soon as the EU cuts one source of revenue, the Russian hydra just grows another head.
Borrell does not believe that sanctions are the only method for the EU to influence the situation.
“The results speak for themselves. 97% reject Brussels’ misguided sanctions. Brussels must review its sanctions policy and find a new strategy. We need peace, not new sanctions!” Hungarian MP Balázs Orbán said on the consultation’s results.
Emmanuel Macron and German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck have both criticized Washington for profiteering from the energy crisis precipitated by the Russo-Ukraine war.
The exchange between the two leaders occurs in the context of Russia’s strong support for the Latin American Left.
The FPÖ, the only major party in Austria to oppose sanctions against Russia, is now polling at 26% of the national vote.
Orbán’s realpolitik has always been rooted in the defence of Hungarian national interests and sovereignty; not to undermine the West but to steer it towards a more responsible and sustainable direction.
Trade with hostile nations is always not a bad idea—after all, interdependence can increase the chances of peace. Yet some European countries were perhaps naïve to pursue a normalisation of relations with Iran so eagerly.
The sanctions, which Orbán described as a “catastrophe”—and argued had been implemented in a “primitive” way— are “killing Hungary and Germany too.”
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