Economy · ArchiveGreece Blocks EU Sanctions on Russian LNG — Latvian PM: 'Do You Want Money or Peace?'Aired July 23, 2026 at 12:15 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00A bitter fight inside the European Union0:02over Russia sanctions has exposed a0:04widening gap between member states.0:06Greece is blocking the blocks 21st0:08sanctions package against Moscow holding0:10it up to protect its shipping industries0:12business transporting Russian natural0:14gas. At the center of the dispute Greece0:16is demanding an exemption from a0:17proposed ban on EU flagged vessels0:19carrying Russian LNG. It has the backing0:22of Cyprus and Malta two other shipping0:24heavy economies. The hold up has0:26frustrated Baltic states like Latvia who0:28say the compromise threatens the entire0:30credibility of the sanctions regime.0:31Latvian Prime Minister Andrus Kolbergs0:33put it bluntly accusing countries0:35benefiting from continued Russian energy0:37trade of helping sustain Moscow's war0:39machine. His question cuts to the heart0:41of the debate inside the European Union.0:43Greece operates one of the largest0:44merchant fleets in the world. EU efforts0:46to close loopholes on Russian LNG have0:49run directly into Greek shipping0:50interests that continue to move Moscow's0:52energy supplies across global markets.0:55This would be the 21st round of EU0:57sanctions since Russia's full-scale0:59invasion. Previous packages have1:01gradually tightened energy restrictions1:03but each new round exposes deeper1:05fractures among member states with1:07competing economic interests. The1:08standoff leaves the 21st sanctions1:10package in limbo and raises a1:12fundamental question for Brussels. With1:15Ukraine watching closely the EU must1:16decide whether solidarity against Moscow1:18can survive the competing demands of its1:20own member economies.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗