Why does the EU sanction luxury goods, and why does Brühl doubt the ban will work?

The EU aims at Russia's elites, assuming they can influence the government's decisions; but none of the core groups in Putin's inner circle has an interest in pushing him to end the war, so the luxury ban is an unlikely lever for policy change.

Non-essential goods are generally left out of targeted sanctions, because the principle of discrimination demands an analysis of whether sanctioning them would actually be effective at influencing policy. Luxury goods (watches, jewellery, textiles over €300) are the exception, on the theory that the elites who buy them can pressure the government.

Brühl's point is that a sanction must have a reasonable prospect of success to be legitimate. A ban aimed at a group that has no interest in, or power over, ending the war fails that test.