Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who had been delaying a decision on the 12th package of sanctions against Russia, was not in the room when the leaders agreed to the sanctions, Politico reported, citing three European diplomats, UNN reported.
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According to the diplomats, it was a coincidence, as Nehammer left the room to talk to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen free movement area.
There is no clarity on the start of the written procedure for the sanctions package, the newspaper said.
"His absence was ironic given that earlier in the day, Hungary's Viktor Orban left the leaders' room when they decided to start talks on Ukraine's accession, unblocking the EU decision," the newspaper notes. As
We remind you
As Politico reported , amid several hours of difficult discussions on the start of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban slowed down with his veto, it was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who proposed the solution.