Shortly before the start of the EU special summit on Monday, there are signs of agreement on a gradual oil embargo. According to a draft of the summit’s statement, pipeline deliveries should initially be exempt from the embargo. According to EU diplomats, Hungary could now give up its opposition to the embargo plans. According to the draft, the sixth package of sanctions against Russia in the war in Ukraine should be adopted and implemented as soon as possible.
The ambassadors of the member states had negotiated the embargo until shortly before the meeting in the afternoon. In addition to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have also expressed objections. All three countries are mainly supplied with Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
In the first step, only shipments by ship are affected
According to a diplomat, there is an agreement in principle about an embargo. This should therefore be done in two steps: initially only for ship deliveries, later also for pipeline oil. “But it is premature to set a date now,” said the diplomat. The specific needs of individual countries must be taken into account.
Another EU diplomat was more reserved. It is unclear whether Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will agree to the current compromise. The issue of supplying oil through the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline, through which Austria, Poland and Germany obtain the raw material, is also open.
The whole package of sanctions depends on the oil issue
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell expressed confidence that an agreement is possible. There were “hard talks” on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, Borrell said on the France Info station. An agreement could be reached by noon. If not, the entire now sixth package of sanctions, including sanctions against figures close to the Kremlin, such as Patriarch Kirill or the alleged lover of President Vladimir Putin, Alina Kabaeva, could be postponed.
Press Hungary: ‘Should be possible to leave the slowest’
The head of the conservative EPP group in the EU parliament, Manfred Weber, called for an embargo without Hungary if necessary: ”If Hungary is not willing to give up the blockade, it should be possible to leave the slowest so that the the rest of the EU can move forward.” Orban should not “dance on the nose of the EU”. At the start of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be linked via videoconference – an at least basic agreement on the sanctions package was therefore considered important.
Two-thirds of Russia’s oil comes by ship
Dividing the oil embargo in half wouldn’t be as toothless as it may seem at first glance: after all, the EU gets two-thirds of its oil supplies from Russia by ship and only a third comes to the West via pipelines.
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.
