BRUSSELS: The European Union’s top diplomat says there is no guarantee that the 27-nation bloc will be able to quickly agree on a new set of sanctions against Russia, as a small group of countries led by Hungary oppose an oil embargo.
The European Commission proposed on May 4 the sixth package of Ukraine war sanctions that included a ban on oil imports from Russia. Hungary is one of a number of landlocked countries that are highly dependent on Russian oil, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Bulgaria also has reservations.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says “we will do our best in order to deblock the situation. I cannot ensure that it is going to happen because positions are quite strong.” His remarks came on Monday as he prepared to chair a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
Borrell says “that some member states face more difficulties because they are more dependent, because they are landlocked,” and that “they only have oil through pipelines, and coming from Russia.”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says “the whole union is being held hostage by one member state.” He says countries like Hungary were offered a phase-out of Russian oil until December 31, 2024, and that “everybody expected that this would be enough.”