In the South, countries are still deeply preoccupied by the economic crisis. They are far from enthusiastic about the possibility of slapping on additional measures that might harm them too. Cyprus’s reluctance is linked to its status as a lucrative parking place for Russian money. Italy under former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi grew very close to Russia. Berlusconi is gone, of course, but Italy still has strong business ties to Russia through its energy group ENI.

Geography and religion play a big role, too. Spain’s foreign policy priorities are North Africa and the Middle East. Orthodox Christian Greece, by tradition, has close ties to Russia, especially with regard to trade and energy.

As for Western Europeans, Britain dreads tougher sanctions because of the impact they would have on London as a financial center. France worries about the consequences for defense contracts. The Netherlands has close links to Russian energy giant Gazprom, especially through its distribution network.

Germany’s influential industry lobbies are completely against sanctions. The country’s political elite is divided, not just for economic reasons but also because of a sense of history and shared ties. Despite that, German Chancellor Angela Merkel seems determined to impose another round of sanctions, as she made clear during a speech to the parliament on March 20.

Eastern Europeans aren’t united, either. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who recently signed a major nuclear energy contract with Russia, has played down the entire Ukraine crisis and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. In contrast, the Baltic states are so afraid of their giant neighbor’s appetite that they are taking a tough line despite a total dependence on Russian gas.

The table below presents a rough-and-ready Who’s Who of the 28 EU member states and their attitudes toward tougher sanctions on Russia. It also shows the percentage of each country’s natural gas consumption that comes from Russian imports.

Country	Support for tougher sanctions on Russia	% of total gas consumption from Russian imports*
Austria	Reluctant	52
Belgium	Supportive	43
Bulgaria	Supportive, but big differences among parties	100
Croatia	Reluctant	37
Cyprus	Very reluctant	0
Czech Republic	Reluctant but will support	80
Denmark	Supportive	0
Estonia	Supportive	100
Finland	Reluctant	100
France	Reluctant	17
Germany	Reluctant but will support	40
Greece	Very reluctant	55
Hungary	Very reluctant	50
Ireland	Supportive	0
Italy	Reluctant	20
Latvia	Supportive	100
Lithuania	Supportive	100
Luxembourg	Supportive	28
Malta	Reluctant	0
The Netherlands	Reluctant	6
Poland	Supportive	52
Portugal	Reluctant	0
Romania	Supportive	24
Slovakia	Reluctant but will support	63
Slovenia	Reluctant but will support	57
Spain	Reluctant	0
Sweden	Supportive	100
United Kingdom	Reluctant	0

Sources: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2013, Eurogas, Eurostat.

* Note: The percentage of gas that member states import from Russia is distinct from the percentage that gas accounts for in their overall energy consumption.