Pressing Warsaw: “Ambitious package of sanctions”
Pressure is mounting from Poland, backed by the Baltic states, to tighten restrictive measures against Moscow that the EU plans to take on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. “We continue to hope for the adoption of an ambitious package of sanctions,” commented Polish Permanent Representative to the EU Andrzej Sadoś at the end of the meeting of European ambassadors. The Polish diplomat lamented the lack of “concrete measures” in the new sanctions package that “really hurt Russian finances and war criminals” and hoped to reach “a common denominator”. Based on what is known so far, there are several critical points raised by Warsaw. One of the most sensitive issues concerns synthetic rubber, the import of which Poland is demanding a total ban on. A position opposed by some countries that want to allow a quota instead. Poland is also aiming to add those already sanctioned to the blacklist of relatives, and has also insisted on including in the package an embargo on imports of Russian diamonds and measures affecting nuclear energy, particularly energy giant Rosatom , as repeatedly demanded by Kiev. On this point, however, there would be resistance not only from Hungary but also from France. After all, Warsaw remains opposed to the planned exceptions to sanctions because, according to his thesis, they would weaken their effectiveness.