EU Unable to Reach Consensus on Additional Russia Sanctions – Reuters
Two members of the bloc are said to have stalled the ongoing discussions regarding the latest anti-Moscow measures being considered in Brussels. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Two unnamed EU member states have reportedly obstructed the latest round of sanctions targeting Russia, according to a Reuters report citing unnamed diplomats in Brussels.
The European Union has implemented a series of embargoes against Moscow in a show of support for Ukraine following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The latest package was reportedly focused on the fleet of tankers transporting Russian oil.
The delay on Friday reportedly stemmed from a disagreement regarding the timeframe for EU companies to divest from Russia, as per unnamed diplomatic sources.
While Reuters did not disclose the identities of the two dissenting countries, PMG indicated they were Latvia and Lithuania. The EU plans to continue discussions on the sanctions package at a later date.
One contentious issue for the bloc involved the delivery of Russian oil-based products. Although the EU implemented a ban on most oil imports from Russia in 2022, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary were granted exemptions due to their inability to secure alternative suppliers.
Under an arrangement set to expire on Thursday, Slovakian refiner Slovnaft—and owned by Hungary’s MOL—was allowed to continue selling Russian oil-based products to the Czech Republic. As reported by Reuters, Prague stated it did not require an extension of the arrangement beyond six months, as it was preparing to transition to an upgraded pipeline from Italy to Germany. However, Bratislava sought a longer extension.
Ukrainian officials involved in formulating the sanctions stated last month that they aimed to target 50 individuals and 30 legal entities from at least eight countries. Among those named were Serbia, Iran, China, India, the UAE, and Thailand, which were identified as countries providing Russia with “critical components” for its military industry.
Additionally, Ukraine indicated that the sanctions would aim at “North Korean officials involved in the dispatch of troops to Russia.” Kyiv has accused Pyongyang of sending more than 10,000 troops to support Moscow but has not yet provided any evidence of their actual deployment.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
The European Union has implemented a series of embargoes against Moscow in a show of support for Ukraine following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The latest package was reportedly focused on the fleet of tankers transporting Russian oil.
The delay on Friday reportedly stemmed from a disagreement regarding the timeframe for EU companies to divest from Russia, as per unnamed diplomatic sources.
While Reuters did not disclose the identities of the two dissenting countries, PMG indicated they were Latvia and Lithuania. The EU plans to continue discussions on the sanctions package at a later date.
One contentious issue for the bloc involved the delivery of Russian oil-based products. Although the EU implemented a ban on most oil imports from Russia in 2022, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary were granted exemptions due to their inability to secure alternative suppliers.
Under an arrangement set to expire on Thursday, Slovakian refiner Slovnaft—and owned by Hungary’s MOL—was allowed to continue selling Russian oil-based products to the Czech Republic. As reported by Reuters, Prague stated it did not require an extension of the arrangement beyond six months, as it was preparing to transition to an upgraded pipeline from Italy to Germany. However, Bratislava sought a longer extension.
Ukrainian officials involved in formulating the sanctions stated last month that they aimed to target 50 individuals and 30 legal entities from at least eight countries. Among those named were Serbia, Iran, China, India, the UAE, and Thailand, which were identified as countries providing Russia with “critical components” for its military industry.
Additionally, Ukraine indicated that the sanctions would aim at “North Korean officials involved in the dispatch of troops to Russia.” Kyiv has accused Pyongyang of sending more than 10,000 troops to support Moscow but has not yet provided any evidence of their actual deployment.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
