Ukraine Furious as EU Will Refine Sanctions on Russian Fertilizer Exports

 

by Kyle Anzalone | Dec 15, 2022

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The European Union agreed to redefine sanctions on some Russian exports to make it easier for poorer nations to import Russia’s fertilizer products. A group of Western European nations believe that the reworded sanctions policy will help to ease the food crisis in many African nations. Kiev was outraged at the EU for taking any steps that even slightly eased the economic war on Russia.  

The tight blockade on Russian agricultural exports caused a rift among EU members. Several Western European states argued that the language of the sanctions was creating hunger in Africa. However, Poland led a bloc of Eastern European nations arguing that they wanted to maintain the full scope of the economic war on Moscow. 

Politico reports the two sides reached a compromise by modifying the language of the sanctions to make it clear third countries can import Russian fertilizer. The decision made Kiev irate. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed his outrage on Twitter.“Attempts to allow Russian oligarchs and companies to derogate from the already imposed EU sanctions deal a blow to the entire sanctions regime, undermine support for Ukraine & our joint effort to stop Putin’s war machine. We strongly oppose them & thank EU members who do so too,” he wrote.

While EU sanctions do not specifically target Moscow’s fertilizer exports, the blacking listing of several Russian businessmen and the legal uncertainty created by the economic war have made buying Russian agricultural products more difficult. 

The phenomenon typically occurs in countries heavily sanctioned by the US and its allies. Washington will often offer exemptions for food and medicine, but companies are afraid of accidentally violating Western sanctions policy and abstain from any business with the targeted nation. 

About Kyle Anzalone

Kyle Anzalone is news editor of the Libertarian Institute, opinion editor of Antiwar.com and co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Will Porter and Connor Freeman.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/ukraine-furious-as-eu-will-ease-sanction-on-russian-fertilizer-exports/