European Union Facing Internal Dissent Over Russia Sanctions

The European Union's latest sanctions on Russia are facing internal resistance from some of the member states. The fact that the European Commission has avoided a definite date for enforcement of the sanctions, also indicates a lack of consensus, reported Bloomberg.

One section in the EU feels that further sanctions are not warranted at this stage, as the ceasefire agreement with Ukraine is already in force. They are also wary of provoking Russia into counter-sanctions including closure of air space to European carriers.

New Sanctions

In the new sanctions, EU is trying to target Russia's oil firms and banks. Some individual business leaders are also singled out from doing business in EU with a plan to freeze their assets. Some new curbs also target the sale of goods to Russia for military and civilian purposes.To take stock of the new situation, the European Union governments have decided to meet on Wednesday and evaluate the viability of cease-fire in Ukraine. The meeting will decide whether to pull the trigger of sanctions after aiming too much on Russia, reported Bloomberg. The EU, comprising 28 member nations had put on hold sanctions on Russia for a few days. It said this delay is the result of time required to assess the efficacy of the cease-fire in Ukraine.

Finland Dissent

Within the EU, Finland had aired its reservations in going for another set of sanctions after a ceasefire emerged in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Alexander Stubb tried to fend off speculations of its dissent and claimed that Finland was never an "obstacle in the EUs decision to ramp up economic sanctions against Russia".

Stubb told journalists that Finland was no 'spanner in the works' though it voiced some concerns over the timing of the new measures. Stubb disclosed that some 10 EU countries had expressed similar concerns, reported YLE. FI. The speculations of Finland's disagreement gained credence after its Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja reportedly filed a note of protest with the cabinet's EU ministerial committee against pressing the sanctions, despite the Ukrainian ceasefire being in place.

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö also said the EU measures were never a surprise to Finland. The President claimed that the discussions over the timing of sanctions will not harm Finland's reputation abroad.But Niinistö's comments contradicted with Finnish OSCE president Ilkka Kanerva who said he was hurt that the EU played its hand without counting new ceasefire agreement between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists.