Above photo: West leaders in Kiev. Volodymyr Zelensky/X.
The Ukraine war enters its fourth year.
European institutions impose another round of sanctions on Russia and overlook potential paths to peace
Three years into the 2022 Ukraine war, European leaders have unveiled yet another round of sanctions against Russia, its allies, and companies that engage with them—but continue to reject options that might actually bring an end to the conflict. This latest package in the EU’s ongoing effort to stun Russia targets not just Russian individuals and enterprises, but also officials in the Korean People’s Army and Chinese companies.
European officials insist these sanctions are working, weakening Russia’s military capabilities. “Today’s decision maintains pressure on the Russian military and defense by listing several industry companies manufacturing weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment and technologies,” the Council of the EU stated. However, Moscow sees things differently, claiming the sanctions have backfired against Europe. “The EU has ruined its trade and economic relations with our country, depriving itself of reliable supplies of affordable Russian energy resources and access to the vast Russian market,” the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU said on Monday. “This has negatively impacted the competitiveness of the European economy, which remains stagnant, as well as the well-being of ordinary Europeans.”
The latest sanctions package comes at a particularly turbulent time for the region. The new Trump administration has sidelined Europe from negotiations with Russia over a possible peace deal, leaving European leaders scrambling to prove they matter. In order to achieve this, they have offered unwavering support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky through even more military assistance. And, after emergency talks last week, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been tasked with smoothing things over with Donald Trump. Given Macron’s and Starmer’s standing at home, expectations should probably be kept at a minimum.
European leaders have also issued statements marking the war’s anniversary, stating that “Courage has a name: Ukraine” and declaring that “Russia must not prevail.” Several key figures traveled to Kiev to mark the anniversary. Meanwhile, in a remarkable show of diplomatic inconsistency, on the same day, other top officials met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to discuss “Israeli-Palestinian relations” and “regional issues including Iran.” The meeting was inaugurated despite Israel’s genocide in Gaza, escalating violence in the West Bank, and international arrest warrants issued for Israeli officials. The EU failed to impose any concrete measures against Israel in response to these events.
Progressive and left forces have called out the EU’s hypocrisy, demanding an end to its selective outrage and double standards in human rights. “End the violence,” the Left bloc in the European Parliament wrote on X, addressing the conflict in Ukraine. “People always lose in war.”