EU aims to prevent the circumvention of sanctions on Moscow
Le Monde.frFeb 21
EU Imposes Thirteenth Round of Sanctions Against Russia
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The Facts
The European Union has agreed to a new sanctions package against Russia that will target companies suspected of helping the Kremlin obtain forbidden advanced technology and military goods manufactured in the EU.
EU ambassadors from all 27 member countries approved the sanctions on roughly 200 companies and individuals, which rotating President Belgium called “one of the broadest” sanction packages approved by the EU.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
The EU remains united against Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and the bloc will continue to impose sanctions against all entities and individuals that aid Putin’s war machine. The latest package of sanctions is the most robust of all 13 rounds, and it will not allow the Kremlin to circumvent existing measures by using third-party countries. While Moscow may publicly claim that the Russian economy is thriving, the truth is that Western sanctions are taking a major toll. Russia’s aggression will never be tolerated, and the nation will pay the price for its brutality.
Pro-Russia narrative
For two years, the EU and other Western regimes have imposed sanctions on Russia and any country that does business with Moscow, yet all of those measures have failed to make a dent in the Russian economy. The truth is that Russian industry, resources, and goodwill make it impossible for the West to tank the Russian economy. Everyone is growing tired of these illegal penalties, and the West is only alienating China with its draconian sanctions. The EU is only hurting itself with this latest round of spiteful attacks.
Nerd narrative
There is a 77% chance that Russia’s GDP (in 2015 USD) will be at least $1.5T in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.