Greece unblocks EU's 21st Russia sanctions package after securing LNG exemption
Greece received an exception for the transit of Russian LNG in exchange for the lifting of sanctions (Photo: REUTERS/Louiza Vradi)
Greece secured an exemption in the EU's 21st sanctions package against Russia that will allow it to continue re-exporting Russian liquefied natural gas to third countries under certain conditions, European Pravda reported on July 23.
According to them, the compromise was one of the factors that helped unblock the adoption of the new sanctions package.
The exemption applies only to shipments of Russian liquefied natural gas to countries outside the EU under contracts signed before Feb. 24, 2022.
Greece was also allowed to make purchases necessary for such shipments. However, the exemption will not be indefinite, as the Council of the EU will review it annually.
EU sanctions against Russia
On July 16, the Financial Times reported that Greece had blocked the adoption of the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia over concerns that a ban on shipping Russian LNG to third countries would cause significant losses for Greek shipping company Dynagas.
On July 15, European Pravda reported that the adoption of the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia had been delayed by at least a week because of objections from Greece and Austria to certain provisions. Another attempt to approve the package was scheduled for July 22 at a meeting of the EU’s Committee of Permanent Representatives, or Coreper.
EU ambassadors had previously failed to agree on the sanctions package on July 13 and 14.
On July 13, the EU imposed sanctions on Russia’s VK Company, which operates VKontakte, and its subsidiary Communication Platform, which develops and operates the FSB-controlled MAX app.
On June 15, the European Union adopted a previous sanctions package targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex, its shadow fleet and networks supporting Moscow’s hybrid operations against Europe. However, Bulgaria said it would block the 21st package because Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill was included on the sanctions list, while Italy also raised concerns about the plans.
Patriarch Kirill and Russian oligarch Vagit Alekperov were ultimately removed from the sanctions list.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
