Hungary has been blocking a European oil boycott against Russia for nearly two weeks. The EU foreign ministers also did not get rid of that blockade today.
“The whole Union is being held hostage by one country,” said Lithuanian minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. Hungary, completely dependent on Russian oil, wants a five-year delay, while most other member states think two and a half years is enough. Moreover, they want to hurry because Europe is now financing the war in Ukraine with its gas and oil money.
“Every day, European countries transfer capital to Russia,” said Foreign Minister Dmytro Koeleba, himself in Brussels today. “And that while an oil and gas boycott is also in their interest. They are now paying us and the Russian war machine, and then the restoration of what the Russians have destroyed.”
They are now paying us and the Russian war machine
EU Foreign Affairs chief Borrell said he regretted that an agreement was not possible today. “It is now up to the ambassadors.” His German colleague Annalena Baerbock said he was counting on an agreement ‘in the coming days’.
‘Kill Russian export!’
Stopping the flow of money to Moscow is important, according to Kuleba, because power and money are the only two things that count for Putin. “If you take his money from him, he will only have power, but with empty pockets.” He therefore advises his EU colleagues to focus their seventh sanction package, now in the works, on this. “Summarized in three words: Kill Russian export† Not just from oil and gas, but completely. It is the only way to stop this war.”
The EU did meet Ukraine this afternoon with fresh money for weapons: another 500 million, bringing the total since the start of the war to 2 billion euros. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg because many member states also supply weapons on top of that,” said Borrell. Another important wish, to make Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, is not granted. As a result, Europe is missing ‘a unique political moment’, says Koeleba. “The support among Ukrainian and European public opinion is record high† I understand that we cannot become a member right away, but I see no rational arguments against the candidate status.”
Causing commotion
Several EU ministers did press this afternoon for a rapid accession perspective for the Western Balkans, starting with the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. That has everything to do with Putin. “Russia can sow unrest there, in the middle of Europe, without firing a single shot,” said Austrian minister Alexander Schallenberg. Landsbergis: “We are now faced with decisions that will determine the coming decades.”
According to Borrell, negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia could be opened this month or next. He called it “brave” on the part of most of the Balkan countries to support the sanctions policy against Russia and called on Serbia to do the same. “Close ties to the Putin regime are no longer compatible with building a shared future in the EU. Neutrality is a false concept in this war, because then you align attacker and attacker.”
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