The ambassadors of the European Union countries failed to reach an agreement on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia. The reason was the blocking of the agreement between the two countries due to disputes over the timing of the exit of European companies from the Russian market.
This is reported by Reuters, reports UNN.
What does the sanctions package provide for?
The new package provides:
- sanctions against tankers carrying Russian oil;
- expansion of exceptions for the Czech Republic to import petroleum products from Russian raw materials coming through Slovakia.
what caused the controversy?
The main reason for the dispute was the issue of extending the exceptions to sanctions that allowed the Czech Republic to import diesel and other products made from raw materials of Russian origin at the Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft (owned by the Hungarian company MOL).
These exceptions have expired, and Slovakia is now pushing for their extension to ensure the supply of petroleum products to the Czech Republic, while General EU sanctions prohibit such imports.
The Czech Republic is ready to agree to an extension for six months, but no final decision was made.
Add
The EU has banned imports of most Russian oil following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Exceptions were granted to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary due to the lack of alternative sources of supply. EU countries are expected to return to discussing the 15th package of sanctions in the near future.
recall
The current White House Administration plans to impose new sanctions against Russia.