EU ambassadors have so far failed to reach an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia, as Hungary continues to oppose a ban on Russian oil imports, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the talks.
The EU has already come up with five rounds of sanctions, which are being imposed in response to Moscow’s ongoing military offensive in Ukraine.
Earlier this week the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyden confirmed that proposals for the sixth package of sanctions include a gradually implemented total embargo on Russian oil. This is arguably the toughest measure so far for the EU itself, considering that in 2021, the bloc as a whole received 25% of its oil imports from Russia, according to Eurostat data.
Acknowledging the objections of Hungary and Slovakia, which heavily rely on Russian imports, the EU has reportedly offered these two countries, as well as the Czech Republic, to postpone their implementation of sanctions until 2024. Other countries are supposed to switch to alternative supplies early next year at the latest.