Politico: Poland pushing EU Commission for tougher sanctions package

According to Politico, on Feb. 22, European Union member states were unable to reach an agreement on imposing new sanctions against Russia due to Poland's insistence on stronger sanctions.

The sanctions package, which was meant to be approved to mark the one-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, would help restrict 11 billion euros worth of multiple electronic components used in Russian weapons — such as drones, missiles, and helicopters — via trade bans and technology controls, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier.

The package also targets three Russian politicians who are facing a visa ban and frozen assets for their involvement in organizing mass abductions of Ukrainian children from occupied territories, according to EU Observer.

Poland's objections to the proposed sanctions package stem from a ban on imports of synthetic rubber from Russia. Rather than proposing a complete ban that might cause objection from certain member states, the EU Commission proposed a ban on imports exceedings 560,000 metric tons. However, Polish officials said that this exceeds the current level of imports, making the proposed ban "meaningless."

Politico cites a Polish diplomat who justified their opposition, stating that, "We are not blocking sanctions. We just want to have sanctions that make sense."

Timeline of Russia's all-out war in Ukraine, month by month

The Kyiv Independent