The European Union and the

Possibility of Sanctions for Russia

According to a CNN report on Friday, September 5th, 2014, the European Union is considering the possibility of placing sanctions on Russia due to their actions in Ukraine. However, whether this happens depends on the strength of the possible cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. From the article, EU spokesperson Maja Kocijancic was quoted as saying that

“A decision on implementing them will only be taken in light of developments on the ground…If there is a ceasefire agreed in Minsk today, member states would look at how serious it was and decide whether to go forward.”

According to the article, pro-Russian rebels would consider a ceasefire if Ukraine would agree to some sort of political settlement. It does not seem clear as to what they would consider as a sufficient settlement.

All of this is transpiring as NATO continues to speak out against Russian activities in the Ukraine.

This is an interesting development. On the one hand, the European Union is clearly troubled by Russian support of rebels in Ukraine, and thus, are at least voicing the possibility of sanctions as an option. On the other hand, they are rather reliant on Russia for energy needs, and thus, some may question just how much pressure they will place on Russia to stop any support of rebels. Again, we have to keep in mind that with interdependence, some worry that any actions of force or sanctions might bring about a response from Russia that some EU members are not comfortable with. With an international organization such as the EU or other IOs, one cannot dismiss individual state interests in the overall policy discussions that arise from the international organization.