EU May Impose New Russia Sanctions Bypassing Nord Stream 2 In February - Reports

EU May Impose New Russia Sanctions Bypassing Nord Stream 2 in February - Reports

The European Union has secured the support of France and Germany to impose new sanctions on Russia over the Navalny case, which will likely materialize as soon as this month, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing EU diplomatic sources

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2021) The European Union has secured the support of France and Germany to impose new sanctions on Russia over the Navalny case, which will likely materialize as soon as this month, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing EU diplomatic sources.

"We can't avoid sanctions anymore. There is a consensus including in Germany to have sanctions. We can't respond in any other way," one source was quoted as saying.

According to the report, the sanctions will include entry bans and asset freezes applied personally to people with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whereas the German-backed Nord Stream 2 gas project will remain intact.

The decision will be made at the nearest meeting of EU foreign ministers on February 22, as expected. Once such authoritative EU members as France and Germany support new sanctions against Russia something long longed for by a number of Eastern European countries other member states are reportedly not expected to object.

Such countries as the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, as well as the three Baltic states, have repeatedly asked Brussels for sanctioning Moscow over Navalny by targeting Nord Stream 2, an offshore pipeline designed to pump gas from Russia directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea bed. When the pipeline becomes operational, some of these countries, as well as Ukraine, may lose their sizable income from onshore transit fees.

While having extended ample support to Navalny, Germany right away rejected sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and insisted that the two issues be decoupled.