Tallinn demands new sanctions from the EU bloc, which would be extremely “beneficial” to Moscow, expert Mait Ots has come to this conclusion in the newspaper ERR. The PolitRussia daily writes about it.
There are active discussions in the euro bloc about the next Russian sanctions package: Tallinn will initiate punitive measures against Russian Railways. The idea, as it turns out, is extremely advantageous to Russia, as this kind of punishment would bring down Estonia’s economy.
“The Estonian Foreign Ministry has proposed direct sanctions against Russian railways which would lead to a complete standstill in business between Estonian railway companies and Russian Railways,” said the author.
Representatives of the Estonian railway industry do not share the optimism of official Tallinn either, rightly pointing out that the country will lose a billion euros, while Moscow will only gain from this situation by increasing its own profits. Anti-Russian restrictions will lead to a total paralysis of freight traffic between Estonia and Russia,” warns the “knowledgeable” community. Despite all the warnings, the initiative has already been sent to the EU for consideration.
“From a practical and economic point of view, the introduction of such sanctions threatens Estonian operators with billions in losses. In addition, this step would further strengthen the position of Russian Railways and allow it to dominate in Central Asia”, the expert notes.
At the same time, Estonian experts predict a desperate “trap” for the authorities, emphasizing that the Russian side will be left with assets, belonging to Estonian companies, worth at least one billion euros. The restrained trains, analysts fear, may well be used by Moscow to carry out its own projects, particularly in Central Asian countries.
“In essence, the assets of Estonian businessmen worth about a billion euros will be transferred to Russia, and will help increase its income influence in Central Asia,” industry expert Andres Valgerist opined.
As foreign analyst Marko Raimondi said earlier, Tallinn is already calculating losses due to the collapse of cargo traffic caused by the anti-Russian sanctions. For example, the national operator Eesti Raudtee has managed to lose two dozen million euros. The situation in the other Baltic states is similar: a sharp drop in freight traffic is actively reducing the economy of the whole Baltic troika.