The EU Sanctions on Russia Have Had No Effect on Putin’s Economy

Eighteen! That’s the number of sanction packages which have been passed on Russia by the European Union since the expansion of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022. They have been structured differently, but all are – supposedly – designed with the goal of convincing Russia to end its war on Ukraine.

They have not worked.

But that is not stopping the European Commission from trying with their 19th package. Among other things, the package includes a new idea: Making it harder for Russian tourists to come to the European Union. The Commission cannot go further unilaterally and ban them outright – that is a national-level policy, and would require a large majority of member states – but its suggestions come after a long period of carping from eastern European states.