The US and EU have suspended cooperation on countering evasion of sanctions against Russia

The head of the EU's sanctions policy, David O'Sullivan, complains about the “complete collapse” of transatlantic coordination on sanctions evasion. As a result, “there is no longer any joint information and propaganda work.” G7 cooperation has also “lost momentum” in this regard.

“The problem is that the US has been the de facto driving force behind the sanctions regime,” Sergei Lagodinsky, a Green Party member of the European Parliament, said in an interview with the publication. “If the Trump administration seeks to normalize relations with Russia, it will mean the end of the global sanctions regime,” he added.

However, O'Sullivan, together with the head of the European Intelligence Center (INTCEN), stressed that the sanctions already imposed will have a “significant impact” on the Russian economy. They also noted that the EU has made some progress in restricting exports of military goods through third countries, particularly to countries such as Armenia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and India.

At the same time, he stressed that China, including Hong Kong, is responsible for approximately 80% of sanctions circumvention and continues to deny this. There are also difficulties with Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey.

O'Sullivan reported initial successes in the fight against Russia's “shadow fleet.” According to him, “several states” in which these tankers and cargo ships, which actually belong to Russia, are registered have withdrawn their flags at the initiative of the EU.

Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung, Interfax-Ukraine