What will the European Union’s stance against Russian oil be? This remains one of the top questions for the bloc as they continue to debate what to do about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and energy security.
Top diplomats of the European Union met today for a last-ditch attempt to agree on sanctions against Russian oil.
It comes as leaders of the EU are coming together for a summit today and tomorrow in Brussels. Leaders said that after weeks of haggling over the matter, they still remain unsure over whether they are even hopeful a deal will be reached.
A set of principles over a ban is agreed in principle, and a draft text has been shown. But the leaders will leave all details and the hard decisions to come later. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that simply the EU is “not there yet.”
Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas said that what was more realistic is an expectation for an agreement to come next month in June. There will be another summit on June 23 to 24.
Some leaders complained harshly that there was no deal, criticizing the lack of agreement. Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said that the EU is getting bogged down in the details, and forgetting the big picture.
“It’s only money The Ukrainians are paying with their lives,” Karins said.
The current draft text, which may be revised again, would confirm that an eventual sixth package of EU sanctions will include a ban on oil in specific ways, including a ban on seaborne oil imports, with pipeline oil supplied to landlocked Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to be sanctioned at a later point.
Instead of finalizing the deal now, leaders will ask diplomats and ministers to find a solution that will also ensure a fair competition between those still getting Russian oil, and those who have cut off the supply or have been cut off by Russia.
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