Last week, the European Commission made a significant move by proposing legislation aimed at eliminating Russian fossil fuels by the year 2027, although certain exceptions are included. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that both Budapest and Bratislava are advocating for the abandonment of this policy in exchange for support of the 18th sanctions package. The proposed sanctions target the Nord Stream pipelines and seek to prohibit imports of fuel that has been refined from Russian crude oil in countries such as India, China, and Turkey, reports 24brussels.
For any new sanctions to come into effect, a unanimous agreement among all 27 EU member states is required. Despite repeated efforts to prevent new restrictions on Russian energy, the administration led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has previously relinquished its veto power on earlier sanction packages.
A senior EU diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide insight into the private negotiations, conveyed, “I don’t interpret this as a veto. The Slovakians had previously indicated that they needed to engage in discussions, so this doesn’t alter the situation.”
“I am optimistic that today’s discussions will lay the groundwork for a substantial agreement during the European Council meeting on Thursday,” the diplomat mentioned, referring to the upcoming summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
Another diplomat affirmed that the aim is to finalize a deal during the summit. The agenda for the EU leaders includes strategic discussions on foreign policy, with significant focus on support for Ukraine and the anticipated restrictions against Russia.
