Eu Poised To Back Extension Of Sanctions On Russian Tycoon
BloombergMAR 12
EU Renews Russian Sanctions
Above: Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, during a news conference following a special European Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Image copyright: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg/Contributor via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The sanctions renewal process needs reform as it allows individual member states to hold the entire framework hostage for political leverage, undermining the EU's unified response to Russian aggression and creating unnecessary diplomatic crises every six months.
Narrative B
The EU's sanctions policy is isolating Europe from potential diplomatic solutions, particularly as the US explores peace negotiations, and a more flexible approach considering individual cases on their legal merits would be more constructive.