On Wednesday 7 May, the foreign ministers of the Baltic countries underscored their determination to once again step up the pressure on Russia. On the same day, EU Member States’ ambassadors to the EU discussed for the first time the 17th package of sanctions, which reportedly includes targeted measures against individuals and vessels in the ‘shadow fleet’.
“We must increase sanctions”, said Estonian minister Margus Tsahkna on his arrival at the informal meeting of European diplomatic leaders in Warsaw, where the situation in Ukraine will be discussed.
“If it will be not the just and long-lasting peace, it would mean that we have to invest even more into our defences, and we will have to prepare for even bigger aggression to repeat on Europe. (...) That’s why we have to do the things that we already are doing, but faster and right now. So it’s to continue with sanctions. The 17th package of sanctions, that’s what we need this month”, added his Lithuanian counterpart, Kęstutis Budrys. He also called for the introduction of customs tariffs on Russian products.
The Latvian minister, Baiba Braže, said that her country’s priority was “to get Europe off Russian LNG and Russian oil, Russian fertilisers”. “We clearly see that as a priority for all the countries because that is the money Russia uses to wage war against Ukraine. That’s the cheapest way for us not to support the war, not to buy Russian stuff”, she explained, as the European Commission presented its roadmap for a definitive phase-out of Russian fossil fuels on Tuesday (see EUROPE 13634/1).
Mr Tsahkna also warned against a possible non-renewal of the sanctions already adopted, which would require the unanimous agreement of the Member States. “I can’t imagine that one of the other leader can go back from June European Council and say we gave €240 billion to Putin as an award for everything he has done”, he warned.
His French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, said he was “very confident” that the measures would be extended. “The Russian war of aggression is unjustifiable and unjustified, and there is no reason to release these assets at this time”, he warned. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Léa Marchal)