The European Union on December 15 agreed on the ninth package of sanctions against Russia. However, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called the agreement “a missed opportunity”.
“The 9th sanctions package was a missed opportunity. Sad that we had to spend so much time discussing derogations, not stronger sanctions. Together with Poland we have managed to secure optional security safeguards that close any loopholes. Lithuania will choose to keep the gates shut,” Landsbergis wrote on Twitter.
Lithuania and Poland previously blocked the adoption of new sanctions for Russia over the exemptions for grain and fertiliser exports.
The proposed exemptions identified 5-6 specific Russian oligarchs who were offered a partial unfreezing of funds.
The agreed sanctions package still includes exemptions for grain and fertiliser exports, but specific names of people who could be subject to the easing of sanctions were dropped.
Lithuania has also negotiated several other conditions for implementing the exemptions. In particular, the European Commission will have the ultimate control to decide whether a certain person could be subject to exemptions.
Also, exemptions could only apply to those businesses that were engaged in fertiliser or food exports prior to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The EU’s ninth package of sanctions against Russia includes, among other things, sanctions on almost 200 Russian citizens and companies, including members of the Russian State Duma, ministers, political parties and judges of the Constitutional Court. It also proposes blacklisting more Russian banks and banning the export of additional technology to Russia. (LRT/Business World Magazine)