On 23rd February - the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - the Council of the European Union (EU) adopted the first package of sanctions in response to Moscow's recognition of the self-proclaimed autonomous republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Since then, five further packages have followed, the last of which was adopted on 3rd June. From the second package onwards, sanctions affected trade in goods.

The Ukrainian conflict has brought to the forefront the issue of Europe's dependence on hydrocarbon imports. Trade data are the usual source to construct a measure of interdependence between states. In the case of natural gas, however, they do not provide a reliable picture of actual flows.

The US trade policy is severely destabilising the international trade system. The European Union is fighting to maintain the latter's stability, which is under dire threat. This text has been first published for the Schuman Foundation.

Since 2018, the US administration has implemented several measures limiting free trade with China and other countries. Using cross-country data and a general equilibrium model, this column argues that a trade war hurts not only the targeted countries but also the country imposing the tariffs.
Column first published in VOX.

Despite President Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, several States committed to uphold the US objectives of the Agreement within their borders.