EU Foreign Ministers Don’t Kick Over the Chessboard—Yet

The European Union foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels yesterday, rejected pressures from the London-Obama war party to expand the sanctions regime against Russia, and merely extended current sanctions against individuals and companies in Russia and eastern Ukraine until September. They also, however, committed themselves to coming up with a list of more individuals and companies to be sanctioned within the next week—which list will be given to the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council on Feb. 9, and then to the European heads of state.

In her statement at the conclusion of the meeting, High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini added that the third element of the decisions taken was to start “preparatory work” for more action, which she said she hopes “can help putting pressure, in particular on Russia, to make positive steps and prevent negative steps that we have seen in recent days.” The formal communique puts the onus of “responsibility” for the crisis on Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Klimkin was present at the talks—having also met with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg.

At the end of the meeting, it was also reported that there’s a possibility of new Minsk contact group discussions Jan. 30, despite the ongoing fighting in Southeastern Ukraine.

While there is much discontent among the EU nations on the boomeranging sanctions, and any negative vote would have prevented action, the new Greek Foreign Minister chose not to upset the facade of “unity” at this event. Minister Nikos Kotzias said, according to the Wall Street Journal, that he was happy to sign on, since there was no immediate movement to new sanctions. He added,

“I don’t know what we are going to say in future negotiations. I’m not excluding anything,”

including a possible veto if his government felt the sanction weren’t in Greece’s interest.

“When sanction are imposed, you must be aware of the consequences,” Kotzias added. “The sanctions created financial problems in Greece.”

The Greek paper ekatherimi quoted Kotzias saying he considered Thursday’s result a “good compromise,” especially in light of the fact that the phrase “further restrictive measures” was removed from the communique.

Prior to the meeting, the Greek government had rejected statements of “unanimity” from the EU on its sanctions policy. Rather, Kotzias had said, according to the Wall Street Journal,

“Greece is working for a restoration of peace and stability in Ukraine, and at the same time working to avoid [a rift] between the European Union and Russia.”

Appropriately to that aim, Minister Kotzias is an expert on the BRICS, having taught at the University of Piraeus, which has a research center dealing with the BRICS. The Unviersity will hold a conference on Greek relations with the BRICS on May 7, 2015.