The approval of the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions by the European Union has met with resistance from two countries at once: Greece and Malta. They do not support the proposal to replace price restrictions on Russian oil with a ban on services necessary for fuel transportation.
Points of attention
- Discussions on strengthening supervision of ship sellers and imposing sanctions on foreign ports for transshipment of Russian oil add layers of complexity to the ongoing debate on EU sanctions against Russia.
- The EU aims to reach a consensus on the 20th package of sanctions by the end of February, emphasizing the importance of unified support from all member countries to address the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Moscow.
New EU sanctions against Russia are again under question
According to insiders, both Greece and Malta are allegedly concerned that the new proposal from official Brussels could affect the European shipping industry and energy prices.
In addition, each of these countries wants to hear explanations regarding proposals to impose sanctions against foreign ports for transshipment of Russian oil and to strengthen supervision of ship sellers.
Against this background, it should be recalled that it was Greek and Maltese companies that transported Russian oil to the EU for a long period of time.
Moreover, not so long ago, Athens and Valletta blocked the lowering of the price ceiling for Russian raw materials.
The European Commission is not giving up yet and is proposing to replace the current price ceiling for Russian oil.
This is the central element of the EU's 20th package of sanctions, aimed at Moscow for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As journalists learned, the EU intends to finally agree on the sanctions package by the end of February.
However, this cannot be done without the support of all member countries of the bloc.
