The European Union recently implemented its 17th round of sanctions against Russia, in case the first 16 were insufficient. Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, would like to take a harsher approach by placing a 500% tariff on anyone purchasing Russian oil.
“We must move forward because the current sanctions have not convinced Vladimir Putin to stop his war of aggression. Therefore, we must prepare for the expansion of devastating sanctions that could finally strangle the Russian economy,” the head of the French foreign ministry believes.
Bureaucrats consistently press for the same solutions that never address the problem. This plan would disproportionately hurt Baltic EU member nations who have repeatedly explained that they have absolutely no other alternative than to continue purchasing oil from Russia. The EU’s reliance on oil imports from Russia fell form 27% to 3% since the beginning of the war, but this does not account for individual nations who face individual challenges.
As of early 2025, around 60% of all oil imports to Hungary come from Russia. The nation is reliant on the Druzhba pipeline Slovakia still depends on Russia for up to 80% of its oil supply. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the EU of attempting to create a “new Iron Curtain” between Russia and the West, and called abandoning Russian oil “economic suicide.”
“On the contrary, by insisting on stopping energy supplies from the east, the EU authorities, guided solely by political considerations, create conditions for further gas price increases, which also has consequences for rising electricity prices,” Fico said in a speech broadcast on SMER’s YouTube channel. Slovakia’s petrochemical plants and refineries are preconfigured for Russia oil. The nation would need to update infrastructure, pay higher transit fees, and pay more overall for the necessity of energy.
Fico visited the Kremlin last week and expressed an interest in maintaining relations with Russia. As noted in a prepared speech:
“There are also sanctions, which do not work and cause damage to the European Union itself. Now the EU has come up with a proposal called Repowering. This is a halt to the supply of all kinds of energy resources. But let us talk constructively. You will understand very well what I am going to tell you now. If someone thinks that it is possible to buy fuel from Westinghouse and use it at our nuclear power plants, it is impossible. A halt of gas supplies will cause instability. Our petrochemical plants were set up to use Russian oil for oil refining, and the shutdown may cause technological problems. I hope that our EU partners will learn about this when legal acts are adopted in connection with Repowering. If it is necessary for all 27 countries to agree, we will use our veto power to ban imports of all types of energy resources. If it is decided not to vote unanimously, but by majority, then major countries will take their decision.”
This is why the European Union has moved forward with decisions without unanimous votes. Brussels eliminated any remaining hint of democracy and are forcing all EU nations to abide by its commands. Votes will no longer matter as Brussels has full authority.
“EU sanctions on Russia have cost Budapest €19 billion ($19.9 billion) in the last three years, more than the country’s annual tax revenues,” Hungary’s Orban stated back in January when he begged the bloc to force Ukraine to permit Russian gas transit. Orban has repeatedly explained that the EU is damaging its own energy sector by sanctioning a nation it is not officially at war with, but every headline reads that he is a Putin puppet.
Placing 500% sanctions on nations importing Russian oil would harm EU trade overall. China is the top buyer of Russian crude, holding 47% of overall exports, followed by India at 38%.
“Russia has found ways to circumvent restrictions imposed by Europe and the US, so turning off the tap could take Russia by the throat,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added.
The European Commission is still phasing out Russian oil for the bloc by 2027. Hungary and Slovakia have an upcoming deadline to present the commission with plans for how they plan to phase out Russian imports. Both nations have said they plan to fight Brussels but those at the top simply do not care about individual member states. This is one of the many reasons why the EU simply will not and cannot survive.
