The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany supports the EU plans for the introduction of a ban on oil imports from Russia. In the course of recent preliminary negotiations on the introduction of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia because of the war in Ukraine, Germany clearly spoke out for the introduction of the embargo, on Sunday, May 1, DPA, citing European diplomats in Brussels.
As the agency notes, the introduction of the EU oil embargo against Russia has become much more likely. Only Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, Italy and Greece are now opposed to this measure. According to diplomats, Slovakia and Hungary are opposed to the rapid introduction of the embargo due to excessive dependence on Russian oil supplies. In the countries of Southern Europe, they are very afraid of increasing energy prices for consumers after refusing Russian fuel.
Deutsche Welle writes that recent successes in the search for alternative fuel suppliers have affected the change in the position of Germany. On April 26, Minister of Economics of Germany Robert Habek said that over the past eight weeks, Germany’s dependence on Russian oil was reduced from 35 percent to the start of the war in Ukraine to 12 percent.
According to DPA, the European Commission intends to submit to the project of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia in the coming days in order to further increase pressure on the Kremlin in the Russian war against Ukraine. At the same time, it is possible that due to a significant number of opponents of the speedy rejection of Russian oil, the embargo can be introduced only in the fall or even in winter.