The EU countries and the European Commission are waiting for the Polish presidency to decide on new sanctions against Russia.
The Commission will not present any draft until the end of the year, during Hungary’s presidency, reports Polish Radio. This is its conscious decision. In January, Poland will begin six months of managing the Union’s activities.
Informal consultations between representatives of the European Commission and member states on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia have already begun, but nothing is on paper yet.
‘There is no point in publishing a draft sanctions package in this half of the year because it is another opportunity for Hungary to bargain or put pressure, and the work on sanctions will not move forward anyway,’ said one EU official.
According to him, this work should start when Poland takes over its six-month presidency in January 2025.
Warsaw has always been among the hawks when it comes to strengthening sanctions against Russia. Currently, sanctions are in place on agri-food and industrial products, whose exports generate revenue for Russia’s budget, allowing it to continue its war with Ukraine.
The Commission is already studying various options and their implications for additional duties on goods from Russia and Belarus.