No EU consensus on Russia sanctions
Some members voice concern, or flatly oppose, oil ban amid talks on new moves against Moscow
The European Union has been unable to agree on further sanctions against Russia as a small group of countries oppose or are uneasy about enacting an oil embargo in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said at a news conference on May 16 that unanimity has not been reached on the issue after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.
EU foreign ministers were discussing
a proposal by the European Commission for a sixth package of sanctions, including a ban on Russian oil. The proposed sanctions require unanimous support from the EU member states.
Slovakia and the Czech Republic are among the member states that have concerns while Hungary opposes the embargo, Euronews reported, noting that the main point of contention is the ambitious timeline for an EU-wide ban.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters in Brussels that sanctions were being obstructed by just one of the
bloc’s 27 members.
Reuters cited EU diplomats as saying the country he was referring to is Hungary, which continues to oppose the oil embargo, despite being offered an extension on phasing out Russian crude until the end of 2024.
In a social media post last week, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban needs “hundreds of millions of dollars” for Hungarian refineries, a capacity increase for a Croatian pipeline and compensation for the Hungarian economy.
An oil embargo on Russia has
already been implemented by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Borrell said that the EU will continue to impose sanctions on Russia, but it was not possible to predict how long it could take to reach a deal.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told reporters that he expects the EU sanctions will be approved in the coming days.
Other EU diplomats quoted by Reuters said an agreement on a phased ban on Russian oil would more likely be reached at a May 30-31 summit.
Although the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, in a joint statement issued on May 16, reaffirmed its willingness to establish pragmatic cooperation with the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization and build lasting peace in the Eurasian region.
“Realizing our responsibility for ensuring lasting peace in the Eurasian region, we emphasize the importance of reducing tensions on the continent and reaffirm our readiness to establish practical cooperation with NATO,” said the statement issued on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the CSTO.
“The CSTO, which was established in 2002… has accumulated significant potential to counter a wide range of modern challenges and threats, and has become an important contributor to peace and stability in the Eurasian space,” said the statement.
The statement was issued following a summit of the leaders of the CSTO in Moscow.