“Sanctions” were the word of the week in Brussels, as the European Commission took a substantial step in pressuring Israel to desist from its brutal tactics in Gaza and, separately, unveiled its 19th round of sanctions against Russia. Though the trade and diplomatic measures are distinct, in both cases, doubts about the efficacy of the proposals were widespread. Most notably, Germany’s staunch support for Israel makes it almost inconceivable they would pass such measures; Italy, Poland, Hungary, and Austria are also unlikely to give the nod. Turning off the Russia TapThe hotly anticipated 19th round of sanctions against Russia was unveiled on Friday, designed to force Ukraine’s aggressor to “leave the battlefield and come to the negotiation table,” Ursula von der Leyen explained. On the menu are sanctions against 118 more shadow fleet tankers, restrictions on Russian cryptocurrency traders, and a ban on imports of Russian LNG from January 2027.