It is on May 9 that Europe may strike at Putin's war machine/Getty Images
Europe has the opportunity to strike at Putin's war machine on what he calls the Soviet “victory day”. The imposition of sanctions on the supply of oil and oil products, and then, I hope, on gas, will be able to finish off the Russian economy.
The sanctions imposed up to this point have hurt the Russian economy, but not enough to stop the military machine.
Europe understands everything
The ruble exchange rate is holding up, money is being received to support the pants of the military and state employees – Russians are still paid for oil and gas, and even more than in previous years. The counter of money that Europe has been paying the Russians since the beginning of the war has already exceeded 55 billion euros. This money is enough for survival and for sending missiles and soldiers to Ukraine.
The good news is that most of Europe understands this. The leadership of the European Commission and the governments understand what the price of Russian energy carriers is. And they plan to get rid of them not only to help Ukraine. This is a matter of European security. And in all EU countries except Hungary, public opinion is leaning towards fighting the Russians.
A recent opinion poll shows that the vast majority of Europeans support the EU's actions aimed at “getting rid of dependence on Russian fossil fuels.”
>But the sanctions against Russian oil caused a big wave of resistance, because for the Kremlin it is an irreversible loss of the market and the largest source of profit. Putin used all possible “arsenal” against the adoption of sanctions, trying to stop the defeat. The tools are old and simple – money and lies of paid “experts and analysts”.
Embargo on Russian oil: who is against it
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria are now opposed to the oil embargo, insisting on a longer transition period. At the same time, Hungary's statements that they will not survive without Russian supplies are pure lies.
There is something to replace the supplies of Russian Urals. When in 2019 the Russians were forced to stop the Druzhba oil pipeline for several months due to oil pollution, there was no catastrophe and supplies were carried out through another oil pipeline.
The Hungarians are simply bargaining – they are trying to get compensation from the European Commission for lost income and solve the issue of access to “covid” money. After all, in fact, their policies do not depend on oil, but on sweet prices, on which the Russians hooked them like on methadone.
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The EU can make a “gift” to Putin exactly on May 9/Photo by Getty Images
Gazprom is also trying to sow discord in the EU. He recently sent a letter to European companies in which he described a gray scheme for paying for gas. In the best traditions of Russian diplomacy, Gazprom proposes to “wind” between sanctions and payment mechanisms in rubles. Just to sow doubts about the validity of European rules.
The Russians know what they are paying for: the “exceptions” to the embargo demanded by the Orban government could unravel the structure of all energy sanctions. If Hungary is given the opportunity to escape from them, then it will be even more difficult to agree on a general rejection of Russian gas.
But here, too, Europe has something to answer.
- Firstly, Orban is easy to outbid. Such politicians do not work for an idea, and the well-being of his country still depends on the EU. Where, for example, funding for post-COVID aid to Budapest was blocked.
- Secondly, for the European Commission, this is already a matter not only of security, but also of the controllability of the bloc. They have no right to give Putin a day of victory over the unity of Europe.
