EU fails to approve 15th Russia sanctions package
EU ambassadors were unable to unanimously approve the proposed 15th sanctions package against Russia, aimed at countering Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers used for oil exports, Reuters reported on Dec. 6.
According to sources cited by the publication, two EU countries blocked the adoption of the package due to disagreements over the extension of the timeframe given to European companies to divest from Russia. The specific countries involved were not disclosed.
Unnamed diplomats told journalists that there were also debates regarding the extension of an EU exemption allowing Czechia to continue importing diesel fuel and other products derived from Russian oil, which are produced at a refinery in nearby Slovakia. The Czech government has stated it does not wish to extend this permission, while Slovakia has requested the opposite.
The Slovak refinery Slovnaft, owned by Hungarian company MOL, is a major exporter of diesel fuel made from Russian oil to the Czech Republic. Czech officials indicated that a six-month extension would be acceptable.
On Oct. 15, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga urged European countries to begin combating the "shadow fleet" of tankers transporting Russian oil, which continues to bring significant revenue to Moscow.
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