Courtesy of Mish.
Tit-for-tat sanction cracks widened to the breaking point today following a report Ukraine Approves Law on Sanctions Against Russia.
Europe is particularly concerned about a Ukraine statement that “European energy companies would have to agree major contract revisions when purchasing Russian natural gas if parliament approved sanctions on Gazprom.”
Slovakia prime minister Robert Fico was so concerned he made a few common sense, yet very pointed statements to reporters in Bratislava.
- Sanctions imposed by European Union and Russia against one another are “senseless on both sides and will lead to a weaker EU.”
- “I understand this is about principles, but I am far from believing in justice in international politics.”
- “Isn’t it strange that a country, which has signed an association agreement, a country, which we are all trying to help, is taking steps that jeopardize the interests of individual EU members?”
- “We don’t want be held hostage by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, we can’t sacrifice our interests in the name of some duel.”
I picked those statements up from ZeroHedge who cites Bloomberg, but I can find no other reference.
Putin’s Trade Blow Throws Finland’s Exporters Into Shock
One reader objected to my post 800 Finnish Dairy Workers Furloughed Due to Russia Sanctions, Others Fired; Brussels to Buy Fruit with Public Money because the source of the information was RT.
OK. Instead, please consider the even more damning Bloomberg article Putin’s Trade Blow Throws Finland’s Exporters Into Shock
Fallout Unfair Says Finland, Lithuania, Poland
Also consider Russia Isolation Fuels Finnish Dismay as Fallout Seen Unfair.
After backing the European Union in expanding sanctions against Russia, Finland is now regrouping to consider what it describes as the disproportionate fallout of the crisis on its own economy.
No other euro nation is as exposed to the aftermath of the crisis in Ukraine as Finland, trade figures for the single currency bloc show. Prime Minister Alexander Stubb last week underscored the need for “solidarity” in the EU, making clear he expects any measures to “treat EU members similarly. If the impact isn’t equal, we’ll consider what kind of solutions we will seek.”
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