European Union countries are preparing for the possibility that they will not be able to adopt new sanctions against Russia after February 2027 because of the upcoming presidential elections in France, reports The Daily Telegraph, citing sources involved in the discussions.
“February could be the last chance to impose sanctions because of the French elections“, one of the sources told the British newspaper. According to other EU officials, it will be difficult to reach a new consensus after the election campaign in France enters its decisive phase.
The first round of the presidential elections in France is scheduled for April 18, 2027, and the second - for May 2. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, is among the leading candidates and is seen as the frontrunner for the post.
Unanimity is key
The new EU sanctions require the support of all 27 member states. This gives any country the opportunity to block the measures if they do not support them.
Le Pen said that sanctions against Russia have had no effect on Moscow. She also said that France can no longer finance Ukraine, citing the deficit and weak economic growth in the eurozone's second-largest economy.
Against this backdrop, Kiev and European institutions are discussing how to speed up decisions related to support for Ukraine and its bid for EU membership. Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, told The Daily Telegraph: “We don’t want shortcuts, but an understanding of geopolitical dynamics from member states.“
The latest package was adopted on October 12
On October 12, the EU imposed sanctions on nearly 1,600 Russian citizens and companies linked to Russia’s military industry. According to the Associated Press, this is the largest single expansion of the sanctions list since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
The package also includes 77 people accused by the EU of organizing, participating in or conducting illegal elections in occupied Ukrainian territories. The total number of Russian citizens and organizations sanctioned by the EU has now exceeded 4,500, the Associated Press reports.
The EU Council also extended until October 9, 2027 the regime against individuals and organizations associated with Russia's destabilizing actions. However, this decision does not constitute a new package of sanctions, but an extension of existing restrictions.
According to information from The Daily Telegraph, European countries are seeking to use the remaining months until February to prepare and adopt additional measures before the French election campaign complicates reaching a common solution.
Sources: aol.com, apnews.com, lemonde.fr