The political scientist stated that there are growing disagreements in the EU over the sanctions policy.

The European Union (EU) is facing internal economic pressure, which limits the scope for further tightening of sanctions. This was stated to Izvestia on February 18 by Evgeny Zlenko, project manager of the Polylog Group.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that some countries, such as Italy, Hungary, Greece, Malta and Spain, oppose the introduction of restrictions on ports and banks related to the transportation of Russian oil. This could undermine the effectiveness of the new sanctions package.

According to him, against the background of stagnation, budget deficits and growing social tension, it is becoming increasingly difficult for EU countries to maintain the previous level of sanctions pressure.

"The EU is currently experiencing stagnation, budget deficits and social tension, so it is impossible to impose double-edged sanctions indefinitely. The unity of the European Union is beginning to be undermined not because of Moscow, but because of their own economic reality, into which they have driven themselves," Zlenko said.

The expert stressed that the key factor is not only the adoption of new sets of restrictions, but also the degree of their actual implementation. In his opinion, the sanctions policy is gradually losing its effectiveness, since formally measures can be introduced further, but their content is becoming less stringent, loopholes and various interpretations of norms appear.

Zlenko drew attention to the fact that a number of EU states, in particular Italy, Hungary, Greece, Malta and Spain, are forced to take into account their own economic interests. We are talking about maintaining the port infrastructure, financial operations and logistics chains in order to minimize damage to national economies.

"Brussels is facing a bad choice: either increase pressure and move to open piracy and hijacking of the same vessels, or admit that the strategy is not working," the political scientist concluded.

We hit the ceiling: Europe has taken up Russian oil again

How can this affect Russian exports?

On February 9, Reuters reported that EU countries plan to impose sanctions against third-country ports for operations with Russian oil as part of a potential 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on February 6 that the 20th package of sanctions against Russia would include a complete ban on the transportation of Russian oil. According to her, these measures are aimed at further increasing pressure on the Russian energy sector. As von der Leyen emphasized, they will also limit the possibility of circumventing previously imposed EU sanctions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on February 9 that the West, which seeks to dominate the energy and oil industries, does not want to give up its once dominant positions. According to him, the struggle for primacy among European states has become especially evident with the advent of the Donald Trump administration. The minister added that the United States suppresses competitors by unfair methods, imposing sanctions against Russian oil companies.

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