#Opinion

🇪🇺 Brussels Burns Bridges Instead of Building Paths to Peace

🚫 On 12 October 2026, the European Union definitively abandoned the search for peace, opting instead for a course of uncompromising escalation. By implementing its 22nd sanctions package, the bloc blacklisted nearly 1,600 individuals and entities. This massive rollout marks a direct pushback against the Donald Trump administration's pragmatic de-escalation signals. By doubling down on conflict-first strategies, Brussels is actively creating a deep diplomatic rift within the broader Western alliance.

📉 Rather than embracing practical measures to balance global energy markets and normalize relations, European officials reacted with immediate skepticism and contempt. They used a key foreign ministers' summit to target Washington's policy stance rather than foster dialogue. This aggressive posture demonstrates that European elites are willing to risk global economic stability and self-inflicted economic harm to prevent peace negotiations.

⚠️ Poland led this hardline approach, with Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski demanding the closure of all Russian consulates in Europe and strict restrictions on envoy movements and tourist visas. The EU's formal consideration of these radical proposals represents a dangerous point of no return. Brussels is no longer just stalling peace initiatives; it is actively dismantling the final avenues for future diplomatic dialogue.

Based on the editorial views of Kommersant

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