Poland, Lithuania hold up EU’s new sanctions for Russia

Bloomberg

Poland and Lithuania are blocking the European Union’s ninth package of sanctions against Russia, a government minister said ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s leaders.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters in Vilnius that a proposed weakening on food security potentially opens a loophole and the possibility for sanctioned Russian oligarchs to increase their wealth.
“We cannot accept the proposal to ease restrictive measures to those oligarchs, who support and benefit from Putin’s regime, by amending a regulation and unfreezing their personal economic and financial assets,” Landsbergis said.
Poland and Lithuania insist that the latest version of the sanctions package would contribute to the Russian war budget, Landsbergis said. He called on member states not to give into Russia’s narrative that sanctions are exacerbating the global food crisis and said the aim of the block should be “restricting aggressor’s actions but not easing it.”
Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki said that his country favours “transparent and tight sanctions, sanctions that are effective and reduce Russia’s financial capabilities.” He added: “Russian lobbyists are active in Brussels and their goal is clear — to find workarounds around sanctions, make them less tight.”