Austria Chancellor says Russian gas embargo 'not an issue' in next package of EU sanctions

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday, May 30 said that the European Union will not discuss the total gas embargo in the upcoming seventh package of sanctions against Russia in response to its brutal war on Ukraine. According to European Pravda, Nehammer told reporters on the second day of the EU leaders' summit in Brussels that the EU leaders have agreed to a partial oil embargo on Moscow although with an exception to pipeline supplies. It would, however, be more difficult for the EU members to completely stop the purchases of Russian natural gas. 

"Yesterday it was clear, and today I will say again: the gas embargo will not be a topic. Olaf Scholz also made it clear," Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer told reporters.

"Gas is completely different than oil when it comes to security of supply. It is much easier to compensate for Russian oil… Gas is completely different, so the gas embargo will not be an issue in the next package of sanctions," he went on to add. 

Head of the European Council Charles Michel, meanwhile, assured at the summit that the EU heads of state and government are committed to fulfilling the pledges that they had made at the Versailles summit in March to end Russian energy reliance. Head of the Dutch government, Mark Rutte, said that the leaders would approach the next round of sanctions differently, indicating that the bloc will not ban the gas supplies. 

"Tonight, I and others have asked that when we work on the seventh package, we should discuss all the technical issues in advance before discussing what the actual sanctions will look like," Rutte told the European Pravda reporters in Brussels. 

Zelenskyy laments delay in Russian sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lamented the delay in implementation of EU-led total oil embargo on Moscow, which he asserted, makes Russia's regime money that its military uses to fuel the war inside Ukraine. It has taken too long for European Union (EU) to agree on oil sanctions against Russia, said Zelenskyy in a recorded address, noting that the last such package was announced about two months ago. "On the 44th day of the war, the EU's fifth sanctions package was imposed, 52 days gave passed since then. What happened," Zelenskyy questioned while addressing the EU Emergency Summit in Brussels.

Zelenskyy's remarks came just before the 27-nation bloc passed the proposal for the partial embargo of Russian oil after the embattled Ukrainian President urged them to "show force." Ukraine's president thanked European Council President Charles Michel for "trying to reach necessary compromises" to ensure the fresh measures are imposed in the coming days.