Foreign ministers to discuss Ukraine
The foreign ministers of 27 EU countries were scheduled to discuss the situation in Ukraine at a meeting yesterday, an EU official told reporters.
The meeting was set to be attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba. According to the EU representative, the ministers "will focus on continued support for Ukraine, diplomatic ties, ongoing work on an action plan to overcome global consequences and counter the manipulation of foreign information". Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will also join the discussion.
The EU Foreign Ministers were also expected to discuss the situation around the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which Brussels has been unable to approve for almost two weeks due to the embargo on Russian oil imports included in it.
Yesterday, no decisions on this issue were expected, but the European diplomat expressed confidence that discussions on the next sanctions package would end with a "good result". The diplomat could not clarify the timing of the decision.
When asked by journalists whether there is a possibility of splitting the sixth package of sanctions into two parts, the EU representative said that it is up to the EU countries whether to split it or not. The official expressed hope that the package will be approved in full.
The sixth package of sanctions against Russia proposed by the European Commission includes a project of a delayed oil embargo. It is proposed to introduce a ban on the import of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia six months after the package comes into force – from 2023.
The EC proposed to allow Hungary and Slovakia to purchase Russian oil until the end of 2024. According to sources, the European Commission has already had to soften a number of its proposals on the timing of the introduction, parameters and possible exceptions to the oil embargo.
Hungary opposes the oil embargo with the support of a number of other countries that believe that the damage from this measure will be catastrophic for Europe.
Earlier this week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that a ban on Russian oil supplies would be equal to an atomic bomb hitting the country's economy. According to him, this is still a "red line" for Budapest. The Hungarian government has repeatedly explained that the only large Danube oil refinery in the country is technologically geared in such a way that at least 65 per cent of crude should come from Russia.
Zsolt Hernadi, CEO of the MOL company that manages this enterprise, noted that it would take two to four years and several hundred million dollars to restructure the production process and switch to other raw materials (with a different sulfur content, density, etc.). Nevertheless, MOL has recently been forced to work out such a scenario.
Open-ended military support
NATO on Sunday pledged open-ended military support for Ukraine, as Finland hailed its "historic" bid to join the alliance and Sweden's ruling party said it backed a joint membership application.
The promise came after Finland jettisoned decades of military non-alignment, redrawing the balance of power in Europe and angering the Kremlin.
On the ground in Ukraine, Russia announced air strikes in the east and in Lviv in the west as Western intelligence predicted its campaign in eastern Ukraine would stall amid heavy losses and fierce resistance.
At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, Germany's Annalena Baerbock said it would provide military assistance "for as long as Ukraine needs this support for the self-defence of its country".
Sweden's ruling party said it was in favour of joining NATO just hours after Finland's announcement, in a remarkable turnaround in political and public opinion following Russia's "military operation" in Ukraine.
"The best thing for Sweden's security is that we apply for membership now, and that we do it with Finland," Social Democratic Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said.
Stoltenberg said the alliance would look to provide both with interim security guarantees while the applications are processed, including possibly by increasing troops in the region.
In Berlin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he heard "almost across-theboard, very strong support" for the bids, despite misgivings from Turkey.
Ankara has accused both Sweden and Finland of harbouring Kurdish extremists, but Stoltenberg said it was not blocking their membership and was confident of finding common ground.
The Kremlin insists the Nordic nations have nothing to fear. In apparent retaliation, it has pulled the plug on electricity supplies to Finland, with which it shares a 1,300km border.
Away from the conflict, Ukraine was basking in the morale-boosting glory of its entry's landslide win at the Eurovision Song Contest, the world's biggest live music event.
On the battlefield, Russia's defence ministry claimed it had struck four artillery munitions depots in the Donetsk area in eastern Ukraine.
Air strikes had also destroyed two missile-launching systems and radar, while 15 Ukrainian drones were downed around Donetsk and Lugansk, it added.