Two EU member states have blocked a proposed 15th package of sanctions against Russia, Reuters reported, citing unnamed diplomats in Brussels.
The European Union has passed a series of sanctions against Russia to show support for Ukraine after the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. The latest package is said to target Russia's oil tanker fleet.
According to unnamed diplomatic sources, the failure of the 15-pack of sanctions is believed to be due to disagreements over extending the time frame for EU companies to divest from Russia.
Although Reuters did not name the two countries that objected, Politico said they were Latvia and Lithuania. The EU intends to continue discussing the package in the coming time.
One of the EU’s problems is the dispute over deliveries of Russian oil products. While the EU has banned most oil imports from Russia by 2022, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have been exempted because they have been unable to find other suppliers.
Under a deal that expired on December 5, Slovakia’s Slovnaft refinery, owned by Hungary’s MOL, could continue to sell Russian oil products to the Czechs. Reuters reported that the Czechs said they did not need to extend the deal for more than six months as they prepare to switch to an upgraded pipeline from Italy to Germany. Slovakia, however, wanted a longer extension.
Ukrainian officials involved in drafting the sanctions said last month that they would target 50 individuals and 30 entities from at least eight countries. Serbia, Iran, China, India, the UAE and Thailand were named as countries that help Russia obtain “key components” for its military industry.
Ukraine also said the sanctions would target “North Korean officials involved in the deployment of troops to Russia”. Kiev has accused Pyongyang of sending more than 10,000 troops to support Moscow, but has not provided any evidence.
