Greece and Malta have become the main obstacle to the European Union’s proposal to replace the current restrictions on the price of Russian oil with a ban on services necessary for its transportation. Bloomberg reports this, citing sources.
Source: Censor.NET
During a meeting of EU ambassadors, both countries expressed concerns about a possible negative impact on the European shipping industry and energy prices. Athens and Valletta also requested clarifications regarding sanctions against foreign ports that handle Russian oil and regarding stricter control over ship sellers.
A representative of the Greek government declined to comment. At the same time, Malta’s representative Nestor Laiviera stated that the country is participating in technical discussions in order to ensure the feasibility of implementing the final decision.
Last week, the European Commission proposed replacing the price cap on Russian oil with a full ban on transport services. This is one of the key elements of the EU’s 20th sanctions package in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions package requires unanimous support from all member states, so its content may still change. It is expected that work on the package will be completed by the end of February.
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