Slovakia lifts veto: EU summit expected to approve 19th package of sanctions against Russia
Kyiv • UNN
The European Union is preparing to approve the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas from 2027. The package also targets Russian banks, lenders in Central Asia, and cryptocurrency exchanges, expanding trade restrictions and blacklisting oil tankers.
European Union leaders are expected to approve the 19th package of sanctions against Russia at a summit on Thursday after Slovakia dropped its objections, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
The package aims to further deprive Moscow of energy revenues and pressure Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin into negotiations. It bans imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia from January 2027, a year earlier than initially planned, and targets Russian banks, lenders in Central Asia, and several cryptocurrency exchanges, the publication writes.
"I think we'll get there," Irish Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne told Bloomberg TV. "It's very important that the European Union continues to use its leverage over Russia - our might and strength - to help the people of Ukraine."
Which countries resisted
The imposition of sanctions has been delayed for several weeks as Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia raised obstacles, the publication writes.
Austria wanted the package to include measures to unfreeze assets linked to Russian magnate Oleg Deripaska to help compensate Austrian bank Raiffeisen Bank International AG for fines it paid in Russia.
Ultimately, the country withdrew this request after not receiving adequate support.
"We are showing solidarity," Josef Schellhorn, State Secretary of the country's Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, told reporters on Monday before a meeting in Brussels. "We need to speak with one voice. And that is our goal."
Hungary agrees to ban Russian LNG supplies to the EU: details09.10.25, 11:43 • 8424 views
Hungary followed suit on Monday, stating that it would also concede. Budapest has repeatedly delayed approving EU sanctions against Russia.
"We are not vetoing the package because we understand that our core national interests are not being violated," Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told Bloomberg News. However, he added, "the sanctions have not been successful."
Finally, on Wednesday morning, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would lift his veto if EU leaders included a provision in the final summit documents on combating high energy prices in the EU, which Fico said he expects.
The latest package of measures also includes trade restrictions on Chinese and Indian companies that have helped Russia circumvent sanctions. In addition, it bans the export of goods worth more than 40 billion euros (46.9 billion US dollars) used by Moscow's military industry, including minerals, ceramics, and rubber.
Finally, the EU package blacklists more than 100 additional "shadow fleet" oil tankers that help Moscow in illegal energy trade, increasing the list to approximately 550.
After EU leaders approve the document on Thursday, the bloc's ministers will give official country approval at the next meeting, the publication writes.