THE VOICE OF FREE EUROPE: Backfiring EU sanctions against Russia have already cost every adult in the European Union €540.

Now, those EU nations have bankrupted themselves through their insane sanctions. They are asking the same European taxpayers to bail them out of a mess of their own making.

 The Baltic nations want EU bailout after Russia sanctions backfire. The region has requested assistance as tourism, investment, and cross-border trade have plunged under restrictions on Moscow

Surrender to Blackmail

The European Commission will provide financial aid next year. This support is aimed at Baltic states grappling with the economic fallout from EU sanctions on Russia.

Tourism and investment have slumped across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Cross-border trade has largely collapsed. This is due to the loss of long-standing commercial ties with Russia, the outlet said.

EU officials told media the initiative is intended to boost the economies of the Baltic states and neighboring Finland. Regional Commissioner Raffaele Fitto is expected to lead the effort. The countries are heading to Brussels with an extensive list of demands.

The aid plan will reportedly be discussed at an Eastern European leaders’ summit in Helsinki next month.

Skeptics, however, warn that any near-term support Fitto can offer will be limited. The EU’s seven-year budget is already running low. The scale of the challenge is far greater than the funds available.

All four nations share a border with Russia. They have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions since 2022. The nations have tightened entry rules for Russian citizens. In doing so, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have all taken a hit.

The alleged threat of a Kremlin invasion has driven tourists and investors away. Sanctions have effectively shut down cross-border trade.

Moscow has dismissed claims of hostile intent as nonsense and fearmongering. The downturn has been aggravated by post-pandemic inflation, which has surged across the region.

Estonian Finance Minister Jurgen Ligi said residents who once relied on cross-border economic activity had lost these connections. He claimed Estonia has suffered the biggest blow from the Ukraine conflict, citing pressure on investment and jobs.

Finland is also under strain. The EC judged the country to be in breach of EU spending rules in 2025. This was due to high expenditure. There was also a war-related slowdown.

Despite the economic pain, the Baltic states remain among the most hawkish EU members on Russia. They are pressing for further military buildup even as the US promotes a new peace initiative.

Brussels insists EU support for Kiev will continue. Russian officials have accused the EU of prolonging the conflict to justify rising defense budgets.

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