Baltic States and Poland Hold up New Sanctions Against Russia, Opposing Their Easing

The Baltic countries and Poland block the adoption of new EU sanctions for Russia, as some countries have proposed weakening them to ensure grain and fertiliser exports.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said this, as Delfi reports.

"Initially, it was a list of 1,500 individuals and companies. It has now been narrowed down a bit. These proposals would free up private funds if states discovered the connection of these funds with food security. It is difficult to say how the private funds of oligarchs are related to food security. We have raised this issue. We also understand the concerns of European partners in some specific cases," said Landsbergis.

However, according to him, the situation can be resolved in such cases with explanations from the European Commission.

"If a political loophole of this size was made, backed by all EU countries, I think it would be used not only to deal with those specific cases but also, probably, to circumvent the sanctions. Perhaps the discussion will be handed over to the European Council," the minister added.

According to Landsbergis, Lithuania and Poland have suspended the adoption of the ninth EU sanctions package, and this position was supported by the other Baltic countries.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has said that Russia "tries to use the narrative that EU sanctions suspend agricultural production in third-world countries."

"There is a narrative promoted by Russia that the EU sanctions are somehow responsible for the rise in food prices, especially in third world countries. Although everyone knows very well that no agricultural production is under sanctions, and it does not have anything in common. Some oligarchs and companies related to the fertiliser business have been sanctioned," she explained to journalists.

The head of the Lithuanian government noted that about 10 countries proposed to weaken the sanctions but did not name which ones.

As reported, the EU ambassadors in Brussels failed to approve the ninth package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday due to its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It was added about 200 Russian people and groups to a sanctions list, including military personnel, representatives of the defence industry, members of the State Duma and the Federation Council, ministers, governours, and politicians.