Slovakia halts EU Russia sanctions; Moldova, Georgia sanctioned
As was immediately announced, the European Union was unable to impose a new set of sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, July 15, despite the wishes of most foreign ministers from the 27 member states gathered in Brussels, due to Slovakia's opposition.
EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, stated in the final press conference that she believes Slovakia, which depends on hydrocarbon supplies from Russia, has received all necessary derogations, adding: "The ball is now in Slovakia's court."
The EU, however, instead sanctioned a series of individuals and entities from the so-called pro-Russian "opposition" in the Republic of Moldova. It also threatened Georgia with visa suspension, a country that had already seen its EU candidate status temporarily suspended.
Among the individuals from the Republic of Moldova blacklisted by the EU are: Alexandru Beșchieru, leader of the "Moldova's Alternative and Salvation Force" Party (FASM); Victoria Furtună, leader of the "Greater Moldova" movement, affiliated with the "Victoria/Pobeda" Bloc; Vadim Grozavu, leader of the "Victory" Party; Irina Lozovan and Natalia Parasca, members of the "Renaissance" Party; Alexei Lungu, president of the "Chance" Party; and Alexandr Nesterovschi, sentenced to 12 years in prison for political corruption, supported by Russia and Ilan Șor.
The peculiar case of Chișinău's mayor
The strangest situation, against the backdrop of decisions made by EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, July 15, concerned Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban. Ceban, as is known, was issued a travel ban from entering Romanian territory, an unprecedented situation.
The measure, taken by the new Romanian government on July 9, also includes a ban on travel within the Schengen area, of which Romania is now a part. Ion Ceban will thus be included in the Schengen Information System (SIS), a database accessible to all countries in the free movement area, which, in addition to most EU countries, doesn't include the United Kingdom but does include, for example, Switzerland. However, Ceban isn't subject to an international arrest warrant, unlike Vlad Plahotniuc and Ilan Șor, who are wanted for criminal offenses. There is, however, a grey area in the legislation meaning he could still travel to certain individual European countries if he obtains a visa, despite Romania's ban on him entering its territory.
"Georgia on their mind"
EU foreign ministers, gathered in Brussels on July 15 for their last official meeting before the summer break, also addressed the case of Georgia, due to the deteriorating political situation in the South Caucasus republic following the recent arrests of several opposition politicians.
Kaja Kallas also announced that the EU would send a letter to Georgia regarding the possible suspension of visa-free travel. The EU has so far adopted a few symbolic measures against Tbilisi.
In early 2025, Brussels imposed visa requirements for Georgian diplomatic passport holders. Since Georgia obtained EU candidate status in 2023, relations between Tbilisi and Brussels have deteriorated sharply, driven by a series of actions taken by the ruling "Georgian Dream" party, which are widely perceived as eroding the country's democratic institutions.
Kallas also stated that a sanctions package would be announced, including two judges, given that "the sentences handed down against young protesters are indeed highly disproportionate." She acknowledged that adopting additional sanctions was difficult because it requires unanimity among member states.
Georgia had already seen its EU candidate status suspended since last year, after the "foreign agents" law, modeled after Russia's, came into force.
The "foreign agents" law then triggered several weeks of massive protests by Georgians, as it is an expression of repressive legislation similar to that found in Russia.
To conclude with a paradox, however, the measures adopted by the EU on Tuesday, July 15, still show that some current member countries wouldn't be admitted to the EU without profound legislative changes. This applies to Viktor Orban's Hungary, where reforms abusively introduced in recent years have placed justice and almost all media under state control, and similar laws were also in effect in Poland until the return to power of the liberal Donald Tusk.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
