The EU capitals hope to reach an agreement on the next package of sanctions against Russia within the next few weeks, even though there are still differences over measures aimed at Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet" of barely legal oil tankers, the Financial Times reports, according to UNN.
Details
EU countries have agreed on 13 packages of sanctions against Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These measures are intended to increase economic pressure on Vladimir Putin, reduce funding for his armed forces and force him to abandon the war.
"EU ambassadors yesterday discussed a new draft of proposed measures that also include a ban on re-exports of Russian LNG - the first time the EU has officially targeted Russian gas products - and one person briefed on the meeting described it as a step forward," the newspaper writes.
Two people briefed on the discussions said that "there are differences in the scale of the events, but no ideological opposition or uncompromising red lines.
"The biggest issue concerns the strengthening of sanctions against tankers used by Russia to transport crude oil with unverified insurance and unclear ownership structure," the publication points out.
Reportedly, "countries such as Greece, Cyprus and Malta have opposed such measures, arguing that they will simply lead to ship operators taking even more opaque steps to hide their fleets and ultimately increase the risk of a major maritime disaster, thus potentially harming shipping more broadly.
The proposed package also includes individual sanctions against more than 100 people involved in the deportation of Ukrainians from the occupied territories and arms production, as well as measures to combat sanctions circumvention aimed at closing loopholes in existing sanctions.
The EU, amid disputes, discusses sanctions against Russia – Politico5/22/24, 4:29 PM