EU tries to circumvent Hungary’s veto on Russian oil embargo

Extraordinary meeting organized by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, this monday will focus Russian invasion of Ukraine In the sixth package of EU sanctions It will include the telematics intervention in Moscow by Ukrainian president Volodímir Zelenski, who was the first to include oil and is third in the summit of European leaders since the start of the war.

Tuesday, Twenty-Seven will focus Food crisis caused by Moscow blockade to Ukrainian ports, and will listen to Macky Sall, the current president of the African Union, who will ensure the EU seeks solutions to reduce the risk of famine. European defense will also be on the table.

sanctions

According to European sources, the offer currently on the table consists of: to distinguish between a complete ban on Russian imports by seaThe exemptions for oil from the Druzhba pipeline, the world’s longest, which carries crude oil from Russia to Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, and which will come into effect at the end of the year, are for now, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany.

If this oil sanctions deal is reached in two rounds, this will affect two-thirds of the crude oil it exports first Russia a senior EU official to the European Union.

Member States’ EU ambassadors, unable to reach an agreement, are meeting again this Monday morning to try to move forward in the previous hours of the summit, which will begin at 16:00 local time.

Another sensitive topic to discuss this Monday, seizure of Russian property due to differences in national laws.

According to the final draft of the summit that Efe saw, the leaders, “Quickly review” the property and assets confiscation proposal that Brussels submitted this week. Russian oligarchs It is trying to circumvent European sanctions.

The aim is to obtain funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine, which will be added to the macro-financial assistance of up to 9,000 million euros “which the EU is ready to give to Ukraine”.

Energy

leaders It will ask the Commission to explore “ways to curb growth” with international partners. energy pricesincluding the feasibility of introducing temporary price limits, according to draft results.

“Delicate is a sensitive file”, European sources admit that it has “not yet made any commitments with third countries”.

In addition, it remains to be seen how to finance the Brussels plan to reduce reliance on Russian gas, which includes cutting 66% of imports in a year, diversifying suppliers, turning on renewable energies or betting on green hydrogen.

food crises

Concerned about the “direct impact” of war on food security, 27 countries to “strongly” condemn on Tuesday Russia’s destruction and illegal allocation of agricultural production in UkraineAccording to the draft results that Efe sees, they will ask him to stop his attacks on transport infrastructure, lift the blockade on Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, and allow food exports, especially from Odessa.

Likewise, the Council will invite Member States to step up the European Commission’s plans to export Ukrainian grain from this harvest through “the EU’s different land routes and sea ports”.

Twenty-Seven is also a effective coordination to ensure food securityreducing price increases and encouraging more efficient use of fertilizers, whose scarcity is of concern.

Russian President Vladimir Putin assured this Sunday. Global food shortages and rising prices are mainly due to Western sanctions on Russia.Something the EU rejects.

That’s why the 27 wants to send a “clear” message to the African Union president that the problem is “Russian war, not sanctions”, according to European sources.

Moreover, European leaders will commit to “continue” military support to Ukraine and the European Peace Support Fund by 500m euros, which has already allocated 2,000m euros for this purpose.

defense

The 27 members will agree that “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine” highlights the need for “a stronger and more capable EU in the field of security and defense”.

In this context, they believe that the EU should “invest more and better” in defense, “focusing on the strategic shortcomings identified”, in a report by the Commission and the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, together with the European Agency. defense.

Therefore, they will consider it “a matter of urgency” to coordinate defense material procurement needs “in the very short term” to support joint purchases to “replenish stocks” where support for Ukraine has run out.

And they await the European joint defense investment program announced by the Community Manager, which is expected to include a tool for VAT exemption in European defense projects.