Estonia Blocks EU Sanctions on Rosatom Plant to Secure Rare-Earth Supply

The EU's new sanctions package omitted a Rosatom plant after Estonia requested its exclusion, citing its dependence on rare-earth elements from the facility. This marks a deviation from the bloc's unified stance on Russia, revealing internal friction between energy security and sanctions enforcement. The move may signal a precedent for other member states to seek exemptions, potentially weakening the overall sanctions regime.