EU's Russia sanctions effort slows over oil dependency!!! Johanna Sumuvuori from Finland EU debates!

Описание: today The Foreign Affairs Council is convening to discuss these topics. The first topic is the Western Balkans and we also have a chance to discuss with the Ministers from Western Balkan countries and I think it's very important, especially this time. And Finland, of course, is a great supporter of the European perspective for the Western Balkan countries. And Finland also thinks that it would be very good to start accession negotiation with North Macedonia and Albania without delay.

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As for the situation in Ukraine, we also have a chance to discuss the situation with the Ministers from Canada and Ukraine. And I think it's a very important issue that we continue our support for Ukraine and also to alleviate the very bleak humanitarian situation in the country. This meeting, of course, also provides us a chance to update a bit on Finland's current discussion on NATO membership. The Government of Finland yesterday submitted a report on Finland's NATO accession and the Parliament of Finland is discussing it today as we speak. Thank you very much.

(How worried are you about Hungary's position on the oil ban?)
Well, I think these meetings are very good chance to discuss the various positions and I believe that there might be different issues than questions that countries want to raise. Finland has been a great supporter of sanctions and also gradually strengthening the sanctions if needed.

(And how important is it that the sanctions are strengthened to include oil?)
I think it's very important to do our utmost that we can make strong statement as an EU that we need to. And also it's an issue for us also about sustainable energy independence. So I think these are very important question, discussions in this regard as well.

(What about the six package of sanctions?)
We will see and Finland has been great supporter of the sanctions in terms of gradually raising the sanction if needed. And it's very good that we have a unity in Europe in terms of sanctions to give a strong message to Russia.

These packages need discussions, business discussions are now, they are being held on different levels. Civil servants have been discussing, the politicians are discussing. I'm sure that we will come to some kind of solution that is good for everyone.

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Hungary has been accused of “holding the EU hostage” over its refusal to agree an oil embargo against Russia, as the bloc struggles to reach consensus on its latest sanctions aimed at eroding the Kremlin’s ability to wage war.

Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said: “Unfortunately the whole union is being held hostage by one member state.” He was referring to Hungary, which continues to block the oil embargo, despite being offered an extension on phasing out Russian crude until the end of 2024.

“Everybody expected this will be enough,” Landsbergis told reporters, reflecting the widespread view that Budapest would fall into line if it got more time to convert its energy system to accommodate non-Russian oil.

The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said there were no guarantees the issue would be resolved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday. “We will do our best to unblock the situation,” he said. “I cannot ensure this is going to happen because positions are quite strong.”

Johanna Sumuvuori, Finland’s junior foreign minister, who said she would update her counterparts on Helsinki’s bid to join Nato, said on the oil ban: “It’s very important to do our utmost, so that we can make a strong statement as an EU.”

The EU has been unable to agree to its sixth package of sanctions against Russia – which includes asset freezes and travel bans on prominent Vladimir Putin supporters – 12 days after the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, outlined plans for a Russian oil embargo to come into force at the end of 2022.

Since the proposals, EU officials have made a series of concessions. A plan to ban EU ships from transporting Russian oil was dropped, after opposition from Greece and Cyprus, which worried their industries would lose out to competitors.

Meanwhile, landlocked countries that are heavily dependent on Russian oil were offered a delay in joining the EU embargo. Hungary and Slovakia were given until the end of 2024, while the Czech Republic has been offered a June 2024 deadline. While Slovakia and the Czech Republic appear ready to sign off the sanctions, Budapest continues to hold out on the oil embargo, which the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has likened to an atomic bomb hitting his country’s economy.