---
title: "Money or Peace: Latvian PM Accuses EU Neighbors of Profiting from the War"
description: "Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš accused Bulgaria and Greece of profiting from the war and blocking sanctions against Russia. According to him, the choice between money and peace is a choice that cannot be combined. 🇪🇺💰🚫"
date: 2026-07-17T06:52:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/money-or-peace-latvian-pm-accuses-eu-neighbors-of-profiting-from-war
tags: [andris-kulbergs, latvia, eu-sanctions, russia, ukraine]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Money or Peace: Latvian PM Accuses EU Neighbors of Profiting from the War

![Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš during a speech, discussing accusations of profiting from the war](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/17/premier-latvii-kulbergs-accuses-eu-neighbors-of-profiting-from-war/premier-latvii-kulbergs-accuses-eu-neighbors-of-profiting-from-war-1.webp)

A serious political crisis is brewing within the European Union, linked to the stance of certain member states regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš expressed his outrage in sharp terms that some member countries are effectively blocking new pressure measures against Moscow.

According to the Latvian leader, for several European states, the war has become a source of significant income. Kariņš did not hide his position in an interview published by Reuters. Bulgaria and Greece found themselves at the center of the conflict, as Riga believes they are obstructing the agreement on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia.

### Veto as Complicity

Krišjānis Kariņš went even further, stating that vetoing parts of the sanctions package is tantamount to complicity in the deaths of Ukrainian servicemen and civilians. The Latvian Prime Minister emphasized that Europe's inaction regarding Russia's "shadow fleet" and the ignoring of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales directly fuels the Russian war machine.

"Moreover, some (European) countries are making crazy amounts of money from this. The question is only whether you want to make money or want peace? You cannot have both of these things at the same time," Kariņš stated, presenting his EU colleagues with a tough moral choice.

### Crisis in Coreper

The words of the Latvian Prime Minister came against the backdrop of a real diplomatic failure. On July 15, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper) failed to reach a consensus on adopting the 21st sanctions package. Disagreements between member states were so serious that the coordination process was suspended.

At the same time, while diplomats continue to seek a compromise, they decided to postpone the decision on lowering the price cap on Russian oil. A new date for reviewing the issue has been set for no earlier than July 23. This decision indicates that intra-block disagreements on energy issues remain acute.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that, despite political rhetoric about supporting Ukraine, the economic interests of individual countries continue to play a key role in shaping the EU's foreign policy. As practice shows, it is precisely these interests that often become the stumbling block for a unified Western strategy.