EU extends sanctions for six months — as predictable as Liepāja's wind

European Union member states have announced with great ceremony that sanctions against Russia have been extended for six months. This is about as surprising as news that Liepāja's wind is blowing again — if it weren't predictable, we would have long forgotten what a calm day looks like.

The sanctions list retains more than 2,700 entities, which is considerably more than the number of cafés in Riga that can make decent coffee. Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs proudly announces that our country has actively opposed any attempts to strike anyone from the list. As Liepāja pensioner Gunārs says: "We're like this wind — constant and never disappearing."

The Ministry notes that the process was complex, but unanimity was maintained. This is almost as difficult as getting people in Liepāja to agree on whether today's wind is blowing hard or very hard. However, unlike our wind, which blows without any political basis, EU sanctions are based on "legal justification."

Latvia will continue to advocate for strengthening sanctions until Russia stops its aggression. This is about as optimistic as hoping that Liepāja's wind will someday announce itself before arriving. But at least we know what to rely on — both sanctions and wind.