Analysing a survey in five EU countries, Research Fellows Ioana-Elena Oana and Alexandru Moise find Hungarians and Poles to have the widest disagreement about EU membership for Ukraine and about ending energy dependence on Russia.

Agronomist and Research Fellow Michele Nori describes the likely effects of disrupted cereal exports from Russia and Ukraine, particularly for dependent regions in Africa and the Middle East. Local control of agricultural systems and food supplies, he argues, remains key for coping with growing uncertainties.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, there is much talk of ‘smart sanctions’ – those with a strong impact on Russia but a low cost for the EU. Visiting Schuman Fellow Daniel Gros argues that a tariff on imports of gas might be smartest sanction of all.

In this post, law researcher Miguel Mota Delgado unravels the complex relationship between EU and Member State law when it comes to imposing sanctions on citizens.

The EU’s capacity to coalesce into a single geopolitical actor is limited on many fronts. However, as Jan Lepeu explains, sanctions have become an effective foreign policy instrument which, beyond serving explicit objectives, also contribute to the European Union’s international standing.