Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) has once again reiterated his no to an EU embargo on Russian gas. “The gas embargo will also not be addressed in the next package of sanctions,” Nehammer emphasized on Tuesday on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels. According to the chancellor, gas behaves very differently from oil when it comes to security of supply: “It’s much easier to offset oil if you don’t use Russian oil.”
Nehammer welcomed the overnight deal on a partial EU import ban on Russian oil. It is a measure that “will certainly also be painful for Member States”, the chancellor said. But “the pain we are suffering is nothing compared to the pain that the Ukrainian people are going through.
There were still technical problems to be solved, Nehammer reports. It may take longer to find a compromise, he stressed. “And if you look closely, the council took less time than others,” he said, as the first day of the summit ended just after midnight.
He is not worried about the Austrian gas supply. When asked about stopping gas supplies to the Netherlands, he pointed out that they had not accepted the Russian payment terms. “OMV has had good and constructive discussions with Gazprom here,” said Nehammer.
Estonia Kallas: Gas should be part of next package
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was “positively surprised” by the deal. At the same time, she has already called for a seventh package of sanctions. “There is no peace, we have not done enough,” Kallas said before the meeting. According to her, gas should also be part of the next sanctions package, “but I am realistic and I know it will not happen,” the Estonian added.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa also urged further measures against Russia. “This part of the sanctions is the easiest. The heaviest note is yet to come, and that is the gas,” said the conservative politician at his last appearance on the European stage.
Surprising breakthrough in sixth sanctions package
On Tuesday evening, EU heads of state and government agreed on a sixth package of sanctions, including the controversial oil embargo against Russia for weeks. The breakthrough came as a surprise after EU leaders reiterated their disagreements at the start of the summit.
The second day of the summit will focus on energy, defense and food security. The guest is Senegalese President and African Union President Macky Sall.
Source: Krone
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