Austria, which presides during this semester the EU, does not rule out that in the last european summit of the year (scheduled for 13 and 14 December) to discuss a possible extension of sanctions on Moscow imposed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and whose economic section expires on 31 January 2019.

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Some community partners, such as Italy, have argued for months for the relaxation of retaliation. Since coming to power last spring, the vice-president of the Italian Government, Matteo Salvini, defends to suspend these measures, which include the prohibition of export to Russia of dual-use goods (those that can be used for both civil and military purposes), the restriction of access to technologies related to the oil industry or the limitations of credit to the financial institutions of the Russian federation. Last June, the last time it was renewed, Rome made gestures of correction to prevent this, but ended up giving up.

The demand of the Italian Government, which takes months tried to foster an approach to the Kremlin to promote its economic interests, could again be broken after the new crises between the president of Ukraine, Petró Poroshenko, and Russia, Vladimir Putin. This shock has already been the object of discussion in two meetings of the Committee of Politics and Security of the EU, this Tuesday, and Monday. Appointments have shown sensitivities present in the european club, with Poland at the forefront of the countries ' supporters to punish immediately the actions of Russia against Ukraine, and Italy among the top calls to the containment.

The possibility of new sanctions has been planned on these meetings, but the team of Federica Mogherini, high representative of EU Foreign Policy, he recalled that “must be approved by unanimity.” A consensus seems far from being achieved.

Germany will remain for now in requests for “de-escalation and dialogue.” The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, that has channels of communication very fluid both with Moscow as Kiev, called this Tuesday, Putin and Poroshenko to urge you to keep the situation under control. Berlin and Paris have been charged against Moscow at the diplomatic level, but exclude for the moment the adoption of new sanctions against Russia.

In the same line of prudence has maintained the high representative of EU Foreign Policy. Mogherini has described as “unacceptable” what happened in the sea of Azov, but has asked for “restraint” to both parties. Following the meeting of the Committee of Politics and Security of the EU, the department of Mogherini was considered “imperative that there is a desescalada immediate”. And asked Moscow to clear the step in the Kerch strait and to release the three ships ukrainians taken prisoner.

war

The incident in the sea of Azov has rekindled the war in Eastern europe. The Parliament Ukrainian proclaimed on Monday that martial law for a month in 10 regions of the country, the more exposed to a conflict with Russia. Kiev accuses Moscow of preparing an invasion of earth, while the Kremlin argues that Ukraine has provoked this incident by the interests of internal policy. The proclamation of a “state of war” can detract also supports Poroshenko and within a European Council where Putin has some close allies, such as Hungary and Greece.

The position of Germany can be key. Until now, Merkel has remained firm on the renewal of the sanctions, but at the same time maintaining its support for the project gas Nordstream 2, which aims to double exports of Russian gas to Germany through the Baltic sea. This project, widely criticized by Warsaw and Kiev, has also led to the ire of the president of the united States, Donald Trump, who accuses Berlin of channelling millions of euros into the coffers of Russian as a major customer of Gazprom, the company gasística controlled by the Kremlin.

Date Of Update: 28 November 2018, 00:32