🚫 The threat of applying secondary sanctions is often perceived as a key way to influence violators of foreign restrictions against Russia.

The frequency of using both tools of pressure has increased significantly since February 2022 as a result of a significant expansion of financial sanctions and export controls against Russia. Unlike the United States, which has extensive experience in applying secondary sanctions, the EU’s experience in this area can be assessed as very limited.

The focus on the law enforcement practice of EU countries against violators of the EU sanctions against Russia is updated taking into account a number of circumstances.

The EU’s coercive measures no longer act as an alternative to secondary sanctions. On the contrary, administrative and criminal prosecution can be combined with the use of secondary restrictions, which creates additional risks for European businesses still working with Russian partners, writes Polina Chupriyanova, Program Coordinator at the Russian International Affairs Council.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-eu-steps-up-the-fight-against-sanctions-evasio/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #sanctions #EU

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🚢 The problem of transport connectivity of the Baltic region has several dimensions.

For the Russian Federation, two issues are of particular relevance:

▪️ transport links between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of Russia

▪️ the problem of shipping in the Baltic Sea, taking into account the unfriendly policies of other states along its coast

It is quite obvious that the current confrontation between Russia and the Western countries may be long-term.

In this situation, transport support between Kaliningrad Region and the rest of Russia should be built taking into account the current geopolitical situation, which has a tendency to deteriorate.

In this regard, special attention should be paid to the development of maritime infrastructure that ensures uninterrupted freight and passenger traffic, Vadim Voinikov writes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/transport-connectivity-of-the-baltic-region/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #BalticRegion

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🌎 Despite the fact that all five Nordic countries have been members of NATO since 2024, there are divergent positions on participation, both among the founding countries (Denmark, Norway, Iceland) and among the new member countries (Finland and Sweden).

While Denmark, Finland and Norway are more involved in NATO military exercises in the Baltic Sea region and the Arctic, Sweden prefers to primarily resolve its own political and economic issues of military-political cooperation, and Iceland prefers to minimise its participation altogether.

Finland, as expected, is pursuing a policy of activism and internationalism more intensively, while Sweden prefers a policy of determinism and adaptation, which it describes as a policy of pragmatism, Oksana Grigorieva writes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/not-a-united-front-how-the-nordic-countries/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #Arctic #NATO

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🇺🇸🇷🇺 Can Trump stop the conflict in Ukraine?

The new White House administration in the US has given rise to speculation about negotiations with Russia on the Ukrainian conflict.

Newly elected US President Donald Trump has stated that the settlement of the conflict is a high priority task for the new authorities.  Russia has voiced its openness to negotiations based on the Istanbul agreements of 2022. 

After the inauguration of Trump in January 2025, a window of opportunity for negotiations may indeed open.

However, the prerequisites for dialogue are more than offset by a number of negative factors. Both the success of the negotiations and the sustainability of possible agreements are questionable, writes Ivan Timofeev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/can-trump-stop-the-conflict-in-ukraine/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #Trump #Ukraine

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