According to a proposal seen by public broadcaster Polish Radio’s Brussels correspondent, Beata Płomecka, the initiative was jointly put forward by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Germany.
The countries say the EU still provides Russia with substantial revenues through imports of strategically important products – worth EUR 35 billion last year – and warn that such dependence poses long-term risks to Europe’s economic and security interests.
They argue that Europe must prepare for the future by reducing its reliance on Russian goods, and import tariffs play a key role in that effort.
The group proposes targeting key sectors such as iron and steel, which are the EU’s second-largest category of imports from Russia after oil and gas, valued at EUR 1.3 billion in the first half of 2025.
They also call for tariffs on inorganic chemicals – with imports from Russia amounting to nearly EUR 450 million in the first six months of this year – and on potash fertilisers, where imports have been rising and reached EUR 141 million last year.
The proposal is part of continuing efforts by various EU member states to tighten economic pressure on Moscow and Minsk amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
(ał/gs)
Source: IAR