The EU has agreed on a sixth package of sanctions, including the oil embargo on Russia, which has been controversial for weeks. The president of the EU Council announced this late on Twitter on Monday evening after deliberations at the special EU summit in Brussels.
“Unity. Agreement on a ban on Russian oil exports to the EU,” wrote Michel. The embargo “immediately” affects more than two-thirds of all oil imports from Russia.
‘Maximum pressure on Russia’
The country thus loses a “huge source of funding for its war machine”, Michel emphasized. They put “maximum pressure” on the country to “end the war”.
Furthermore, the state of Sberbank will be excluded from the banking communication system SWIFT and the EU will also ban three Russian state broadcasters. There are also other sanctions against people responsible for war crimes.
Hungary as a big brake
The agreement was preceded by a hard battle between the member states. The accompanying draft already stated that the sixth package of sanctions against Russia in the war in Ukraine must be decided and implemented as soon as possible.
But alongside Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Hungary was a major drag – all three countries are mainly supplied with Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
Selenskyi demanded unity
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously put pressure on EU member states. In a video link to the EU summit, he called on heads of state and government to take joint action against Russia.
“Internal disputes only lead to Russia increasing the pressure on Europe,” Zelensky said.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
