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DISINFO: EU-Russia trade was suspended due to sanctions

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

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Crimea economy Sanctions European Union Sputnik V Trade illegal annexation Diplomacy with Russia

DISINFO: EU-Russia trade was suspended due to sanctions

SUMMARY

The accession of "Sputnik V" to the list of vaccines approved in the European Union means a diplomatic victory for Russia, which suspended its trade with the Union for years, due to sanctions after its reclamation of Crimea.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea and the sanctions against Russia.

Since March 2014, the EU has progressively imposed restrictive measures against Russia which were prolonged until 31 July 2021. The measures were adopted in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the deliberate destabilisation of Ukraine and the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

There was no such thing as a “reclamation” but in effect an illegal annexation of the Ukrainian territory. No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN announced its non-recognition of the illegal annexation, and the EU continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law.

While the level of trade between the EU and Russia has seen some fluctuations in recent years, a complete halt of trades between both sides have never seen light. It was not, and is not, the purpose of the sanctions to bring the trade to a halt. However, Russia's own decisions to ban imports from EU of primarily food products have reduced the trade volumes leading to higher prices for ordinary Russians.

In 2020, Russia is the EU's fifth largest trading partner and the EU is Russia's largest trading partner, with a two-way trade in goods value of €232 billion in 2019.

The three largest importers from Russia in the EU were Germany (EUR 19 554 million), the Netherlands (EUR 13 417 million) and Poland (EUR 9 964 million). Finland (34.2 %) had the highest share for Russia in its extra-EU imports. While three largest exporters to Russia in the EU were Germany (EUR 23 155 million), Poland (EUR 7 136 million) and Italy (EUR 7 101 million). Latvia (34.3 %) had the highest share for Russia in its extra-EU exports.

See related pro-Kremlin disinformation claims in our database alleging that EU sanctions on Russia are a "circus" and a "fake story"; or that the EU lost more from sanctions than Russia; or that Russophobia weakened Europe; or that sanctions actually help Russia; or that Crimea was reunited with homeland Russia; or that Moscow did not violate international law when reunifying Crimea with Russia.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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