During a meeting with his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala in Prague on Tuesday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer criticized the European Commission for the dispute over the oil embargo on Russia. “I think it is fundamentally appropriate, also for the Commission, not to announce the results until the negotiations are fully concluded. You can also do the opposite, then you see the result like now in the discussion,” says Nehammer.
According to the chancellor, the EU was distinguished by being united on the issue of Russian aggression in Ukraine and continuing to strive to be united. “But the sharper, the deeper, the more far-reaching sanctions are considered, the more important it is to discuss them sufficiently with the individual member states in advance, so that the impression of dissent from outside does not arise,” said Nehammer.
Nehammer shows understanding for resistance from Hungary
Asked about the Hungarian resistance to the dispute over the embargo, the chancellor expressed understanding: “It should be clear that the countries that are more dependent on Russian oil also have a perspective on how they will continue to supply the raw material. The Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn said the dispute with Hungary over an oil embargo against Russia still had a few points to settle, “but the will is there.” Hungarian demand for billions of EU aid in exchange for embargo approval “It just can’t be done,” Asselborn said. A solution could be to extend the transition period for Hungary “not to months, but years” as proposed.
The Czech Republic cannot replace Russian imports so quickly
Nehammer’s Czech counterpart also lamented “that it appears to the outside world that we are not united” on the issue of EU sanctions. He stressed that the Czech Republic fully supports the planned sanctions against Russia. “But the principle must be that the sanctions should be more painful for Russia than for the countries that impose the sanctions,” Fiala said. The Czech Republic is unable to replace Russian oil imports in the short term and therefore needs the transition period promised by the EU.
With regard to natural gas, where the Czech Republic is 95 percent dependent on imports from Russia, Fiala has raised the possibility that the Czech Republic could use the capacity of the gas storage facilities in Austria.
No agreement on sixth sanctions package against Russia
On Monday, EU foreign ministers were unable to agree on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia over the dispute over an oil embargo. A longer transition period is not enough for Hungary, it is demanding millions from the EU to offset the effects of an embargo. The sanctions must be decided unanimously by all 27 EU members.
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
