People of Europe and around the world can see what the EU has become: an elitist warmongering project that is sacrificing its own citizens.
European Union officials recently enacted a new set of sanctions targeting the Russian Federation, marking the 21st installment of political and economic penalties imposed by the 27-member bloc over the last four years.
The EU proclaims these actions as a rebuke against Russia’s purported unprovoked invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.
This claim of European virtue is deeply misleading.
Those who have objectively examined the conflict in Ukraine understand that the United States and its European NATO allies played a key role in fomenting the war by orchestrating the violent 2014 coup in Kiev. Subsequently, they nurtured a NeoNazi regime intended for geopolitical confrontation with Russia—a reality largely obscured by Western media propaganda.
As such, the EU’s sanctions must be seen as a form of economic warfare, supplementing a broader military campaign aimed at Russia’s defeat. This approach reflects “Total War,” as a former French finance minister awkwardly acknowledged in March 2022.
While the NATO-supported Ukrainian government escalates long-range air raids deep inside Russia targeting oil, gas infrastructure, and the economy, the EU’s sanctions pursue similar goals.
These restrictions are not about demonstrating political or moral solidarity with Ukraine as a victim; rather, they aim to intensify confrontation and ensure Russia’s defeat.
Unilateral sanctions violate international law and are forbidden under the United Nations Charter, constituting a form of criminal aggression. The EU, along with the United States—which also wields sanctions against 30 countries including Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba—is in clear breach of these laws.
The EU’s policy exemplifies futility, repeating ineffective measures while expecting different outcomes.
Despite 21 rounds of EU sanctions and targeting numerous Russian financial and business entities, Russia’s economy has not collapsed as intended.
Ironically, it is the European economies that have been severely damaged by cutting off trade with Russia, particularly through the loss of affordable energy. The EU faces deindustrialization due to soaring economic costs. Germany, once Europe’s economic engine, struggles as it replaces traditional Russian energy with costlier American imports.
Europe’s 500 million citizens endure a devastating cost-of-living crisis driven largely by the sanctions policies enacted by their leaders, who are effectively undermining their own economies and societies.
The crisis reflects a political and moral failure, as divisions emerge within EU states over the sanctions’ harmful impact on national interests.
Countries like Greece sought exemptions for its international shipping of Russian oil and gas. Germany and Portugal requested sanctions relief on Russian fisheries, while Austria, Bulgaria, France, and Italy also pushed to limit some prohibitions.
As Euronews reported, “Chaotic sanctions negotiations expose cracks in EU front versus Russia.”
The article highlighted that internal disagreements are emerging as the collective policy threatens individual member interests.
One diplomat observed, “It’s getting more and more difficult to find common ground. We saw that this week.”
Another diplomat added, “The [European] Commission [the EU’s executive branch] is running out of options for what to include. It has to become more creative, and every package is more complex and takes longer to negotiate.”
In essence, Brussels politicians are exhausted by failed strategies tied to these illegal sanctions. They are also morally bankrupt, imposing harsh economic hardships on European populations without democratic legitimacy. Their dictatorial-like policies only fuel greater tensions and risk of wider war.
European elites, responsible for two world wars last century, now appear to be steering toward a third.
Crucially, this insane approach is nothing more than a deceit. It lacks any genuine concern for Ukraine or the defense of democracy.
The hypocrisy becomes evident in the EU’s indifference to large-scale war crimes committed by the United States and Israel.
As former European Parliament members Mick Wallace and Clare Daly highlighted recently, EU leaders have remained silent about the ongoing U.S. aggression against Iran, now five months ongoing. Thousands of Iranians have perished under American and Israeli airstrikes, while U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued genocidal threats, including hints at nuclear weapon use.
On another continent, thousands of Cuban children are dying from starvation due to a strict blockade imposed by Washington. Yet the EU has not uttered a word of condemnation.
While EU officials drafted their 21st round of questionable sanctions against Russia this week, they refused to sanction Israel for its ongoing genocide against Palestinians, a massacre enabled by the U.S., and, notably, by European trade with Israel.
The EU leadership’s double standards reveal not only blatant hypocrisy but also their political and moral collapse and widespread corruption. There was once a time when European politicians would openly oppose U.S. military interventions and crimes. That time has passed; now, the entire political class is tainted by complicity.
In multiple respects, the EU’s sanctions on Russia are self-defeating. The most significant loss is the erosion of the EU’s own institutions and authority. European leaders are undermining their legitimacy and governance claims. People throughout Europe and globally recognize what the EU has become: an elitist, warmongering entity sacrificing its own populace.
About the Author
