The EU threatens to sanction the Nord Stream gas pipeline after Putin's snub
European leaders step up pressure on Moscow and demonstrate their support for Kiev at a summit in Tirana.
BrusselsThe day after Vladimir Putin's planting of Volodymyr Zelensky and the same day that the Russian and Ukrainian authorities meet for the first time in three years in TürkiyeUkraine's European allies are once again sending a clear message of support to Kiev to continue pressuring Moscow. This Friday's image of around fifty leaders gathered in Tirana (Albania), most of them close to the Ukrainian leader, within the framework of the European Political Community, carries great symbolic weight, as do the new threats the European Union has launched in the form of sanctions against the Kremlin. "We want peace, so we must increase the pressure on President Putin until he is ready for a ceasefire," said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Specifically, the community leader has announced that the next package of sanctions from the European bloc aims to target the Nord Stream I and II gas pipelines, which until now had been excluded from community restrictions, and the financial sector of the Russian regime. She also indicated that Brussels and the member states will seek ways to further punish the ships of the so-called Russian ghost fleet, These are vessels dedicated to transporting fossil fuels, avoiding European sanctions and reducing the price of crude oil to a minimum.
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Von der Leyen's announcement comes the same week that the EU agreed on another package of sanctions that, for the first time, seeks to limit the movement of the ghost fleet and extend restrictions to some 30 companies that are dedicated to circumventing previous EU sanctions and 75 entities and individuals directly involved in the arms industry and the military. In addition, Brussels has presented a plan to stop importing fossil fuels from Russia from 2027 and last week assured that they aim to reverse the fact that the EU still more money is spent on Russian energy than in aid to Ukraine.
European Unity
European leaders have agreed in lamenting that the Russian leader truly does not want to sit down and negotiate, and they see his snub and the maximum conditions he imposes on Zelensky as simply further proof. "Putin is not serious," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the press, maintaining that he intends to work hand in hand with the EU to increase sanctions against the Russian regime. "We find it unacceptable that Putin does not respond to the demands made [for a ceasefire] by the United States, Ukraine, and Europe for the second time," said French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Starmer, his German counterpart, Friedrich Merz, and his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, after they called each other.
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Along the same lines, European Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas asserted that Putin has been "playing games" with Trump for two months, who claimed he would resolve the conflict in a jiffy. Although in a less critical tone, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is close to the Pentagon, also criticized the Kremlin's laziness in resolving the conflict and stated that "the ball is in their court" and not in Ukraine's or its allies'. "I know Putin well from my time as Prime Minister [of the Netherlands], and I'm sure he's aware that he made a mistake sending a low-level delegation [to the meeting with Ukraine] and that he has problems," Rutte added.
NATO is increasing pressure on its Atlantic allies to increase military spending at breakneck speed, especially in Spain. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte already assumed this Thursday at the European summit in Tirana (Albania) that Spain will allocate 5% of its gross domestic product to defense. "Without a doubt," the Dutch leader responded when asked by the press whether Sánchez believes he will also comply with the NATO obligations.
Until a few days ago, neither Rutte nor any of the military's major allies were seriously considering having to meet the 5% rate that the Donald Trump administration wants to impose at all costs. However, this minimum military spending is gaining ground—it helps the United States maintain de facto control of NATO—and, therefore, partners are increasingly falling further behind their spending targets. But Spain's case is the most exaggerated.
At this point, the Spanish government has not yet reached 2% and, despite opposition from the people and its own governing partners, announced a €10.5 billion Moncloa plan to achieve that rate. However, even if this roadmap is ultimately implemented, in Spain it would still be 3 percentage points below what the United States and NATO are expected to demand at the summit to be held next June in The Hague.
