Greece and Malta block EU sanctions on Russian oil, - Bloomberg
Greece and Malta have become the main obstacle to the EU's proposal to replace restrictions on the price of Russian oil with a ban on services necessary for its transportation.
This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources, according to Censor.NET.
According to the agency, both countries expressed concern about the impact of this move on the European shipping industry and energy prices during a meeting of EU ambassadors on Monday. In addition, they requested clarification on sanctions against foreign ports for handling Russian oil and increased oversight of ship sellers.
A Greek government representative declined to comment, while Malta's representative, Nestor Laiviera, said the country was "engaged in technical discussions to ensure that the final outcome can be implemented."
Last week, the European Commission proposed replacing the current price cap on Russian oil sales with a ban on transport services. This is a key element of the EU's 20th package of sanctions for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions require the support of all member states and may change before adoption. Work on the package is expected to be completed by the end of February.
