Resistance to the expansion of sanctions against Russia is growing in the European Union, as businesses and economies in member countries are also suffering significant losses from them. According to the Financial Times, the political willingness to adopt new restrictions in the EU is decreasing, and even discussions around existing sanctions are often prolonged for months.
Discussions on the latest, 21st sanctions package show that decisions that were previously almost unanimously adopted are now more frequently encountering disagreements. Experts assess that there is not just ordinary dissent in the EU, but a significant weakening of support for new restrictions.
Many countries prioritize their own economic interests. Italy opposes new restrictions on Russian tourists, while Germany, Greece, and Portugal have demanded a review of the ban on importing Russian fish to protect their fishing industries. Economists also note that high energy prices, inflation, and the loss of export markets are forcing governments to support national producers.
Bulgaria has taken a tougher stance, stating that it may block the new sanctions package if its demands are not considered. These demands relate to restrictions on Moscow and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the preservation of supplies of spare parts for Sofia's metro.
Although each EU member state has the right to veto foreign policy decisions, including sanctions, compromises are usually reached in practice through exceptions, transitional periods, or softened formulations. Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have previously received exceptions regarding restrictions on importing Russian oil, and several countries have also supported maintaining special legal mechanisms for the transit of Russian gas.
Experts believe that the growing disagreements within the EU indicate that economic interests are increasingly influencing political decisions. If the number of exceptions continues to rise, the adoption of future sanctions packages may become more complicated, and the unified system of restrictions may become less effective.
For Russia, such developments could mean a reduction in import costs, the preservation of stable revenues in certain export directions, and a gradual weakening of the EU sanctions mechanism. At the same time, public disagreements within the EU indicate that European unity on sanctions is increasingly under pressure.
