EU proposes the eighth package of measures against Russia over Ukraine referendums
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilisation" of the population in the midst of the war in Ukraine on 21 September 2022, a new change of strategy has emerged after the withdrawal from Kiev in March and Kharkov in September. This announcement was accompanied by express referendums on accession, held between 23 and 27 September on Ukrainian territory. On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new package of sanctions against Russia, this time for the recent referenda in the occupied regions of Ukraine.
At the beginning of September, G-7 member states agreed on a maximum price for crude oil in order to prevent Russia from continuing to finance the war. In addition, the EU executive has proposed extending the list of goods that cannot be exported to Russia, ranging from aviation products and electronic components to certain chemical substances, as well as eliminating 7 billion euros worth of Russian imports.
Although the imposition of a price cap may have little practical impact on European countries, Von der Leyen justified the need for such a step as developing countries still need Russian oil at affordable prices. "The oil price cap will help reduce the Kremlin's revenues on the one hand and keep energy markets stable on the other," she explained.
The obstacle in the way of implementing this new set of sanctions is Hungary, because unanimity is needed among all European chancelleries. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced the launch of a public consultation for citizens to vote on whether or not they are in favour of the proposed European sanctions. According to the Hungarian leader, the measures are a shot in the foot for the EU economy: "It is clear that the sanctions have contributed to the rise in prices. If the sanctions were lifted, prices would fall drastically and inflation would be halved," he wrote on social media, adding that "it has become clear that the sanctions that have been introduced are doing more harm to Europe than to Russia". Consultations that since he came to power in 2010 have been criticised by voters and opposition parties for containing biased questions.
Russia has escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a new level.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 28, 2022
And we are determined to make the Kremlin pay the price for this further escalation.
Today, we are proposing a new package of biting sanctions against Russia ↓
https://t.co/MrirRm1m4l
In the end, the European Commission did not include the idea of imposing sanctions on Russian nuclear energy, something that had been circulating in the EU capital in recent days. Hungary was strongly opposed to this measure. In fact, Budapest has an agreement with the Russian state company Rosatom for the construction of new nuclear reactors at the Paks power plant, south of the capital.
In a proposal set out for the 27 countries that make up the EU bloc, the president of the European Commission concluded that sanctions on Russia should be tough. The EU executive added that those who do not comply will be included in the group of people who support the Russian regime, such as a third party who buys a good from the EU that the EU has banned from exporting to the Russian market, and this third party then sells it to Moscow. Von der Leyen hopes that this measure will have "a great dissuasive effect" and will not extend the list of those already sanctioned to more than 1,206 people and 108 companies.
On the other hand, regarding the controversy over the cuts in the Nord Stream gas pipeline, in a communiqué published on behalf of the 27 member states, the highest representative of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, assured that "all available information indicates that these leaks are the result of a deliberate act" and that the European partners will act against any "deliberate interruption of European energy infrastructure".
