As journalists managed to find out, official Brussels will propose the adoption of some sanctions against Russia in order to prevent Hungary or Slovakia from imposing a veto.
Points of attention
- The European Union is trying in every way to avoid the veto of Hungary and Slovakia.
- It is planned to adopt the sanctions by qualified majority, as it will concern trade.
- The European Commission is soon planning to introduce restrictions against the Russian “shadow fleet.”
Hungary and Slovakia will not be able to stop the EU
According to media reports, the new restrictions will apply to fertilizers and other agri-food products from the aggressor country Russia and its ally Belarus.
Anonymous sources in the EU indicate that the decision will not be adopted unanimously, but by qualified majority, since it will concern trade.
It is this trick that will allow the European Union to protect itself from a veto from Budapest and Bratislava, which take a pro-Russian position.
What is important to understand is that the duties should be so high that in practice the import of these products should stop.
The EU already imposed tariffs on cereals and oilseeds from Russia and Belarus in May last year, but not as part of a sanctions package. Since then, the European Commission has been considering expanding the possibility of adopting sanctions without the unanimity requirement.
What is the main problem?
European leaders believe that the bloc's members have finally reached a "ceiling" in terms of their ability to make decisions on sanctions unanimously.
This is indicated by increasingly weak sanctions packages that do not have a strong impact on the aggressor country and its accomplices.
Against this background, the European Commission intends to strike at the Russian "shadow fleet", that is, at vessels that illegally transport Russian oil.
In addition to blacklisting more Russian vessels (currently 72 out of 600 in the "shadow fleet"), more creative solutions, such as requiring oil spill insurance, are also being considered. Such solutions are being prepared by Denmark, Poland and other Baltic states.
