Estonia opposes EU going soft on Russian oil, threatens veto
Estonia may veto EU’s 18th package of Russia sanctions if it does not include lowering the price cap on Russian oil, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on July 9.
“We have a very clear position that lowering the oil price cap must be included in this package,” Tsahkna told public broadcaster ERR.
“We have a very firm stance on this issue.”
He added that setting a lower price cap is the most critical element of the new package. The minister noted that the proposal, initially drafted by the European Commission in early 2025, calls for reducing the cap from $60 to $45 per barrel.
“Our position is to adopt the European Commission’s proposal in its original form,” the minister said.
Earlier, news outlet Delfi reported that Mediterranean EU members with a large shipping sector, especially Malta, want to remove the requirement from the package. Estonia, in response, is prepared to veto the package if the measure is dropped. EU foreign policy decisions, including sanctions, require unanimous consent from all 27 member states.
On July 7, Ukraine’s Deputy PM for European Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, said EU members were expected to reach an agreement on the 18th sanctions package against Russia later this week.
The impasse follows a June 26 meeting in which EU nations failed to adopt the 18th package but agreed to extend current sanctions for six months.
The 18th package, presented on June 10, includes restrictions on Russia’s energy and banking sectors. In particular, it proposes banning transactions related to the Nord Stream pipelines, lowering the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel, and tightening controls on the export of dual-use goods and technology.
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