The Twenty-seven will negotiate further this week to convince Hungary and unlock the sixth package of sanctions
There is still no agreement in the European Union to ban oil imports from Russia. The negotiations conducted by the ambassadors of the 27 member states this Sunday again ran on the reservations of the countries most dependent on Moscow, especially Hungary, which calls for more time and more guarantees on alternative supplies. This rejection paralyzes the sixth sanctions package, which requires unanimous support, with which the bloc continues talks this week, with contacts “at all levels” to reach a pact “as soon as possible”.
The ambassadors’ meeting began around noon and lasted an hour and a half, diplomatic sources explained. But after verifying that the blockade of countries such as Hungary, Slovakia or the Czech Republic was maintained, it was decided to continue negotiations this week. However, they assured that “very significant progress” has been made on “most of the elements” that make up the package.
The debate over the oil embargo is complex. The European Commission’s original proposal foresees a generic waiting period that will run until the end of the year, with exceptions for Hungary and Slovakia, for which it is allocating another year, until the end of 2023. These concessions are due to the rough comes almost exclusively from Russia and through a single pipeline, making it difficult to replace other suppliers.
In any event, the sanctions would also veto any potential technical assistance, direct or indirect, and any intermediary, including financial and insurance services, associated with the Russian oil ban. In addition, to prevent Russian oil tankers from evading sanctions, the text calls for a ban on the transportation of Russian oil in all its forms, including “ship-to-ship” cargo transfers from Russian ships to cargo ships of another flag.
As the EU seeks the solution to achieve the unanimity required by the agreement, the G7 (France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan, Great Britain and the United States) officially pledged this Sunday to “ban the import of Russian oil or phase out,” according to the White House, after the group held a video conference with Ukraine’s President Volodimir Zelenzski.
The text does not state any deadlines, but they wanted to send a message on such a symbolic date as this Sunday, when the end of the Second World War was commemorated. Especially if Russia celebrates this Monday with a military parade in which the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany will show its strength.
While oil is the focus at the moment, the EU is also advancing its plan to cut Russian gas purchases and prepare for a possible supply. Russia has already stopped deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria and there is a clear risk that it will turn off the rest.
The European Commission has been working on this plan for some time and is looking for alternative suppliers, but the difficulty is enormous due to the heavy reliance on some countries, such as Germany, who also receive all their fuel through a gas pipeline.
For this reason, it also plans to adopt an emergency response of a supply freeze on May 18, considering that the countries with more alternatives and less vulnerable, such as Spain, will share their gas with the most affected countries. A rationing plan would first be applied to the industry to protect homes and essential services.
Source: La Verdad
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