The EU are falling over themselves to make a nuclear World War 3 a certainty.
Germany’s position has been consistently pro-Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Maybe the EU should consider sanctions directed at German exports to bring them in line.
Feb 25, 17:32 Berlin defends resistance to removing Swift access from Moscow
Erika Solomon in Berlin
Germany’s foreign minister has defended Berlin’s resistance to suspending Russia’s access to Swift, a move that would deliver a blow to Moscow’s banks and hamper its ability to trade beyond its borders.
Western leaders are split on whether Russia should be removed from the global payments system.
“It’s important that we get sanctions in place that have a targeted effect on the power system and that don’t just sound big,” said Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
Baerbock said they had discussed a suspension for weeks with EU and US partners but said the experience of cutting Iran out of the Swift system showed how broad the impact was.
“We have seen in Iran that we could no longer use it to fund humanitarian projects, for example,” said Baerbock on Friday.
**“It would also mean that people in Russia, for example, a granddaughter who lives in Europe would not be able to transfer money to her grandmother,”** she added.
“That may sound small,” she said, “but those who are responsible for this bloodshed will have ways and means, of course, to carry out their financial performance anyway.”
>Other diplomats stressed Berlin is simply applying more scrutiny to the legal texts presented by the Commission, which are often the product of sleep-deprived officials whose initial drafts more recently presented legal problems. “The Germans have increased their level of scrutiny and this is driving the Poles crazy,” another diplomat said.
>
>“The Commission is working at warp speed to get new sanctions packages out, but seems to put speed over quality” said another EU diplomat.
Honestly, I can see why Germany would be frustrated. I saw people pointing out on Twitter that some of the names of Russian oligarchs in a previous sanctions package were completely misspelled, they were drawn up so hastily.
Btw, Politico features some really delicious EU reporting.
3 comments
The EU are falling over themselves to make a nuclear World War 3 a certainty.
Germany’s position has been consistently pro-Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Maybe the EU should consider sanctions directed at German exports to bring them in line.
[https://www.ft.com/content/93554a7e-f974-49fc-85ba-c111d253b002#post-740b5777-2c49-4566-8de8-69a5878d194c](https://www.ft.com/content/93554a7e-f974-49fc-85ba-c111d253b002#post-740b5777-2c49-4566-8de8-69a5878d194c)
Feb 25, 17:32 Berlin defends resistance to removing Swift access from Moscow
Erika Solomon in Berlin
Germany’s foreign minister has defended Berlin’s resistance to suspending Russia’s access to Swift, a move that would deliver a blow to Moscow’s banks and hamper its ability to trade beyond its borders.
Western leaders are split on whether Russia should be removed from the global payments system.
“It’s important that we get sanctions in place that have a targeted effect on the power system and that don’t just sound big,” said Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
Baerbock said they had discussed a suspension for weeks with EU and US partners but said the experience of cutting Iran out of the Swift system showed how broad the impact was.
“We have seen in Iran that we could no longer use it to fund humanitarian projects, for example,” said Baerbock on Friday.
**“It would also mean that people in Russia, for example, a granddaughter who lives in Europe would not be able to transfer money to her grandmother,”** she added.
“That may sound small,” she said, “but those who are responsible for this bloodshed will have ways and means, of course, to carry out their financial performance anyway.”
>Other diplomats stressed Berlin is simply applying more scrutiny to the legal texts presented by the Commission, which are often the product of sleep-deprived officials whose initial drafts more recently presented legal problems. “The Germans have increased their level of scrutiny and this is driving the Poles crazy,” another diplomat said.
>
>“The Commission is working at warp speed to get new sanctions packages out, but seems to put speed over quality” said another EU diplomat.
Honestly, I can see why Germany would be frustrated. I saw people pointing out on Twitter that some of the names of Russian oligarchs in a previous sanctions package were completely misspelled, they were drawn up so hastily.
Btw, Politico features some really delicious EU reporting.