2 hours ago
image source,EPA
European Commission President von der Leyen described the compromise agreement as “a big step forward”.
European Union leaders agreed to pursue a plan to ban more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports.
The ban, a compromise after Hungary’s objections, will not affect oil imported through pipelines for now.
European Council President Charles Michel said the deal would cut off “a major source of finance” for Russia’s war machine.
The sanctions are part of a sixth order passed at a summit in Brussels and must be agreed by all 27 member states.
The EU also agreed to a series of strong measures targeting Russia’s largest bank Sberbank and three state broadcasters, Michel said.
EU member states failed to resolve their differences over the Russian oil ban for hours, with Hungary the main opponent.
Michel told the media that the compromise was reached after weeks of back-and-forth wrangling, agreeing to “temporary exemptions for oil entering the EU via pipelines.”
Therefore, the immediate impact of these sanctions concerns only the oil shipped by Russia to the EU – two-thirds of all EU crude exports from Russia.
However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the ban would be broader in practice, as Germany and Poland have voluntarily reduced their own pipeline imports from the end of this year.
“The rest is the crude oil imported by the southern Druzhba pipeline (Druzhba, friendship pipeline), which accounts for about 10-11% of the total (Russian crude oil) imported by (EU countries),” von der Leyen said, adding that Russia Petroleum Management connects Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
She also said the European Council would review the exemption “as soon as possible”.
The ban on Russian oil imports was originally proposed a month ago by the European Commission, which sets the rules for member states.
However, opposition, mainly from Hungary, has made the latest round of sanctions by the European Union do not go well. 65% of Hungary’s oil comes from Russian pipelines.
Other landlocked countries, such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are also demanding more time based on their reliance on Russian oil. Bulgaria, which has cut off gas imports from Gazprom, is also seeking an exit.
The cost-of-living crisis already felt across Europe is not helping the situation either. Soaring energy prices – and the prices of other commodities – have weakened EU countries’ willingness to impose sanctions that would hurt their economies.
image source,Getty Images
Greenpeace protests by setting up oil drums in front of the Hungarian parliament.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban maintained a firm stance during the discussions, accusing the European Commission of failing to properly negotiate the ban with member states.
He said energy was a “serious issue” and “we need to address this before we can talk about sanctions”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the summit by wire, urged EU countries to stop their “quarrels”, saying it would only help Moscow.
“All bickering in Europe must stop, these internal disputes will only encourage Russia to put more and more pressure on you,” Zelensky said in a video link.
image source,Getty Images
Some EU countries had previously had doubts about banning imports of Russian oil products. If Germany immediately stops imports of Russian oil and gas, Europe’s largest economy will experience a sharp recession by 2023.
“It’s time to stop our differences, stop fighting each other, and come together as one,” he said.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said member states should not be “bound” by their own personal interests.
“It will cost us more, but it’s just money. Ukrainians are paying with their lives,” he said.
- There is heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, mainly around Severo Donetsk;
- According to regional governor Serhyi Haidai, the city faces a “very difficult situation” without water, gas and electricity;
- French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was killed while covering an evacuation for the broadcaster BFMTV near the city;
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told TF1 that the “liberation” of the eastern Donbas region is an “unconditional priority” for Russia;
- According to the Ukrainian military, the Ukrainian side launched a counterattack, intending to retake the area occupied by Russia near the southern city of Kherson;
- U.S. President Joe Biden said he would not send Ukraine enough weapons to attack targets in Russia.