EU’s Ninth Package of Anti-Russian Sanctions: Who Locked Horns Over the Document?

Since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, western countries have rolled out a total of nine packages of sanctions against Moscow.

The EU spent weeks trying to rectify discrepancies over the ninth package of sanctions against Russia, a document that was finally adopted on Friday.

Let’s take a look into who locked horns with Brussels and voiced displeasure with the package.

‘No’ to Three Russian Ministers on Black List

Budapest insisted that the Russian ministers of energy, sports and health should not be included in the ninth package of EU sanctions against Moscow, a European media outlet claimed citing unnamed sources.

The ministers are Nikolai Shulginov, Oleg Matytsin and Mikhail Murashko, respectively.

The outlet argued that “forever Russia-friendly Hungary had insisted on striking the names of the three individuals off the ninth package’s blacklist."

The move reportedly came as a last-ditch veto threat that was previously dubbed "political corruption" by an unnamed EU diplomat.

Warsaw Needs ‘Transparent Sanctions’

Poland also locked horns with Brussels over the ninth package as Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki explained his country's position on the matter by insisting that the EU needs "transparent and tough sanctions that reduce Russia's financial capabilities."

According to Morawiecki, "Russian lobbyists are active in Brussels, and their goal is to make the sanctions easier." In particular, Poland is categorically against removing fertilizer tycoon Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, who Warsaw claims is "responsible for Russia's economic interests," from the ninth package’s bblacklist

“We are against it. The insinuations that Poland is in favor of easing sanctions have no basis. Poland is in favor of strengthening them,” the prime minister said.

Echoing Poland

On Thursday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters that the proposed easing of food security measures by the European Commission has the potential to open up opportunities for sanctioned Russian oligarchs to increase their wealth.

He referred to the ninth package deal, which in particular stipulated that individual EU countries will be free to unfreeze Russian magnates’ money if it's "strictly necessary" to expedite shipments of food and fertilizers, especially to Africa.

EU Heavyweights Want Softer Stance

EU heavyweights France and Germany, supported by the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, however, called for the so­­­-called “fertilizer thaw” to help maintain global food security.

"We cannot risk famine and food shortages over [EU] sanctions rules which are unworkable for port authorities," an unnamed source told a European media outlet.

Despite Poland’s and Lithuania’s opposition, a consensus was clinched between the two and other EU members on the ninth package, which envisages that while six Russian fertilizer and chemical moguls, including Kantor, will "still be the likely beneficiaries of any derogations, their names will not explicitly be referenced in a new EU fertilizer white-list", according to the European media outlet.