EU national leaders say something unexpected about Russia sanctions

Since President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24. Up to now, the US and the European Union (EU) have launched a series of economic sanctions against Russia.

The latest, on May 31, EU leaders agreed to a new package of sanctions to ban the import of all Russian oil delivered by ship – not by pipeline – but not to impose a ban on gas imports. burn.

Despite the continuous blows of the US and its allies, according to the radio RT (Russia), the Russian ruble is getting stronger while EU citizens have to face higher prices as sanctions are not working.

“Sanctions don’t work. Russia doesn’t feel them, the ruble hasn’t collapsed. EU citizens pay the price, Putin smiles with satisfaction and oil and gas will move elsewhere because of the huge demand. ” – President Zoran Milanovic said in the newspaper Zagreb and called the EU’s explanation of the partial Russian oil embargo “insulting”.

President Croatia added that the current EU sanctions “have no effect even for Serbia” and that the only thing that could happen is higher prices for EU citizens.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic. Photo: AP

President Zoran Milanovic also said Croatia has little influence in the EU, unlike neighboring Hungary.

“The one who plays an important role is Hungary” – radio RT Russia quoted Milanovic as saying and pointing out that Budapest was responsible for Russia’s exemption from sanctions on gas. President Milanovic also complained that Brussels was not interested in what Croatia needed.

“The reasons cited by the EU for not embargo on Russian gas are generally an insult,” added the Croatita leader.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that “Western sanctions will have the maximum impact on the Russian economy from this summer onwards”.

“The Russian oil embargo will affect international trade for many years, if not forever,” Prime Minister Draghi said after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on May 31.

In April, President Milanovic announced that unless the US and EU guarantee the rights of Croatians in neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zagreb will block Sweden and Finland’s applications to join NATO. However, the nationalist HDZ party, which holds a majority in the Croatian parliament, has rejected such an action.

But there is still Turkey blocking NATO’s opening to the two Nordic countries on the grounds that they support Kurdish fighters that Ankara lists as terrorists, according to the report. RT.