Hungary derails EU’s 20th sanctions package on Russia
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas (Photo: REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki)
EU countries are unlikely to reach agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia at the Feb. 23 meeting of foreign ministers due to continued resistance from Hungary, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, according to Reuters.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the talks, Kallas said it had become clear that consensus on the proposed measures would not be achieved at the meeting because of Budapest’s position.
On Feb. 6, the European Commission proposed the 20th package, aimed at further restricting Russia’s energy sector, banks, and trade operations. The measures are designed to reduce Russia’s oil revenues and make it harder to evade existing restrictions through its “shadow fleet” of malinsured oil tankers and cryptocurrencies.
Key proposals include a full ban on maritime shipments of Russian crude oil in EU jurisdictions. The plan also calls for widening sanctions on the shadow fleet by adding 43 vessels to the list, bringing the total to about 640. Separately, the measures would ban technical maintenance and other services for LNG tankers and icebreakers, targeting Russian gas export projects.
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