Agreement on 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia may be delayed due to Hungary’s position, - Politico
The European Union is nearing completion of work on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. A final agreement may be reached after two meetings of member states' ambassadors in the Coreper II format, but Hungary's position could delay the process.
This was reported by Politico, citing diplomatic sources, according to Censor.NET.
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, insists on approving the package by February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Due to the tight deadline, EU ambassadors may meet again for talks in the coming days.
Kallas is also coordinating with the UK to strengthen the impact of the restrictions. This includes sanctions against Russia's "shadow fleet" and a ban on maritime services for tankers transporting Russian oil and gas.
On Monday, the ambassadors heard from David O'Sullivan, the EU's sanctions representative, who works with third countries to block schemes that circumvent restrictions. He plans to visit Kyrgyzstan in the near future.
At the same time, according to two diplomats, Hungary insists on excluding certain high-ranking officials of Russian sports organizations from the sanctions list. This could complicate and delay the approval of the package.
- The European Union has proposed expanding sanctions against Russia to include ports in Georgia and Indonesia for trading Russian oil. This would be the first time the bloc has imposed sanctions on ports in third countries.
