France and Germany advocate for valuable goods and cars to enter the Russian Federation through Belarus: Politico
Germany and France oppose closing a loophole that allows high-end goods, including luxury cars, to enter Russia through Belarus. This led to discussions in the EU regarding the separation of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus.
About this informs Politic.
According to the three diplomats, the standoff between Berlin and Paris has led other EU countries to consider whether to split the sanctions package in order to reach a compromise before the June 13-15 G7 summit in Italy. This would allow the EU to continue the implementation of the main gas sanctions, while postponing the decision on sanctions against Belarus.
The EU introduced sanctions against Belarus even before the start of the war in Ukraine, in particular, for the falsification of the 2020 presidential elections.
“If we take weak measures against Belarus, knowing that goods are coming to Moscow through Minsk, it will be a little ridiculous.” – noted one of the EU diplomats.
Statistics show a significant increase in car imports from the EU to Belarus, which reached $2.6 billion in 2023, which is four times more than in 2021. The researchers note that the largest growth is observed in the luxury car sector, which is probably related to exports to Russia.
“Germany supports strong anti-sanctions circumvention measures, but focus should be on goods relevant to Russia’s war of aggression“, – emphasized the French diplomat.
Opponents of selling luxury goods to Russia say President Vladimir Putin uses the goods to support his elite and secure the support of his key allies.
