Finland urges EU tariffs on all Russian imports to bolster Ukraine pressure

Finland has called on the European Union to introduce tariffs on all imports from Russia, in a move designed to reinforce economic pressure on Moscow alongside existing sanctions related to its war in Ukraine.

Speaking in Warsaw on May 8, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the proposed measure would act in parallel with current sanctions and would not require unanimous support from all 27 EU member states, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“The European Commission has full mandate to do this,” Valtonen told reporters at the sidelines of an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers in the Polish capital. “If in the future some of the sanctions lose their effectiveness, or whatever happens, we would still have this tariff.”

The suggestion comes at a time when the bloc faces renewed uncertainty over the continuation of its current sanctions regime, with Hungary once again threatening to veto their extension. These measures — in place since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago — include the freezing of nearly €200 billion ($225 billion) in assets belonging to Russia’s central bank and sanctions on hundreds of individuals, ships and companies linked to the Kremlin’s war effort.

EU sanctions require unanimous renewal every six months. Hungary has frequently held up these processes in the past, often seeking concessions on unrelated issues before agreeing to proceed.

In contrast, trade measures such as tariffs can be approved by qualified majority, offering a potential workaround to member state vetoes. The European Commission has previously explored whether existing sanctions could be reframed as trade measures.

By Aghakazim Guliyev