Divisions Will Delay an EU Decision on Russia Sanctions

The debate over sanctioning Russia has reignited leading up to the summit of EU heads of state and government that will take place March 19-20. Most of the European Union's economic sanctions against Moscow are set to expire in late July, and extending or expanding them will require a unanimous vote. Some EU members, such as Lithuania and Poland, want to continue the sanctions and would like to vote on them in March. But Italy, Spain, Greece, Hungary and others want to delay the decision in order to give Russia more time to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine.

Because the European Union is mostly a reactive force when it come to Russia, barring an unexpected spike in violence in Ukraine, Europe is unlikely to pass additional sanctions. Moreover, EU governments will delay the debate over extending the sanctions for as long as possible in the hopes that the political situation will permit the sanctions to expire on their own in July.