Moscow’s new veto comes as EU finalizes sixth package of sanctions, which plans to cut Russian oil purchases
Poland, Bulgaria, Finland and now the Netherlands. They are all out of Russian gas. The company Gas Terra, 50% owned by the Dutch government, confirmed on Monday that from this Tuesday it will no longer receive the blue fuel from the energy giant Gazprom by refusing to pay for the service in rubles, as required by the government. Vladimir’s decree. – which came into effect on April 1 – countering the cascade of international sanctions.
“We understand GasTerra’s decision not to accept the payment terms unilaterally imposed by Gazprom,” Energy Minister Rob Jetten wrote on Twitter. “This decision has no consequences for the physical supply of gas to Dutch households.” The company responsible for acquiring and commercializing gas in the country – with 25% of its shares being shared by multinationals Shell and Exxon – recently signed a contract with another supplier to purchase the 2,000 million cubic meters of gas he expected to receive from Gazprom until October.
The payment in rubles demanded by Moscow implies the creation of a kind of “bridge accounts” in which payments would be made in euros for their later conversion into the Russian currency. A mechanism that, as Gas Terra explains in its statement, could violate European Union sanctions in addition to a mechanism “with financial and operational risks”.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Twenty-seven met in Brussels on Monday to increase humanitarian and military support to Ukraine, coordinate European defense and address the food security crisis caused by the Russian invasion.
They also tried to give new impetus to the discussion about the oil import ban and the adoption of the sixth package of sanctions against Moscow, so far blocked by Hungary. Leaders hope to pass it on this week.
Although the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, denied any principle of agreement. “There is no obligation. We are in a very difficult position because of the European Commission. They made a proposal without letting the Member States decide. We have to change the approach,” he criticized.
Hungary continues to create obstacles to a formula that has been subject to rigorous scrutiny since it was presented by the community administration in early May. And that initially included the total cut off of Russia’s crude oil supply.
According to an official source, the document Member States are now working on would consider a veto over crude oil imported to Europe by sea. This would prevent pipeline supplies and allow the most reluctant states, such as Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, to build the necessary infrastructure to stop being dependent on Russia.
A partial embargo that would hit 66% of crude oil imported from Moscow and deal a severe blow to the Russian economy, cutting the EU’s annual bill by 50 billion.
Source: La Verdad
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