Latvia and Lithuania, on the other hand, want to tighten sanctions against Russia. They merely demanded the removal of a provision in the new sanctions package that would allow Russian companies to operate within the European Union. This led to disagreement among European countries, resulting in a temporary “veto” of the decision.
Kremlin-linked Telegram channels and social media users began spreading claims that Latvia and Lithuania had “unexpectedly” blocked a package of sanctions against Russia. These “reports” provide no details about the decision and simply cite Politico to make the claim.
“Two EU countries that blocked the 15th package of sanctions against Russia unexpectedly turned out to be Latvia and Lithuania,” users noted in their posts.
After spreading such information, StopFake decided to check whether Latvia and Lithuania “unexpectedly” and without explanation blocked the latest sanctions package against Russia. It turned out that the pro-Kremlin propagandists deliberately concealed the real reason behind the sanctions blockade by these countries.
On December 6, the American magazine Politico published an article about the decision of Latvia and Lithuania to “veto” the 15th package of sanctions against Russia. However, a full reading of the article reveals that it does not describe the Baltic countries’ actions as “unexpected”. The authors, citing three unnamed diplomats, reported that the EU countries failed to agree on new restrictions on companies and oil tankers “helping Russia wage war in Ukraine.”
“The holdup came after two EU countries, Latvia and Lithuania, refused to back the package because it also extended a provision allowing Western firms to keep working in Russia despite existing sanctions. The clause was initially intended to benefit companies saying they want to divest from Russia but can’t for various reasons. Critics say the loophole is being abused and giving companies too much political cover to stay in Russia,” the article states.
In other words, Latvia and Lithuania, on the contrary, want to strengthen sanctions against Russia by removing the clause that allows Russian companies to operate in the EU. However, the propagandists chose to omit this information and simply stated the fact, presenting it out of context and giving it a completely different meaning.
Previously, StopFake debunked claims that anti-Russian sanctions had supposedly destroyed Ukraine’s economy.
