Austria slams European Commission due to dispute over oil embargo against Russia

As some European countries are hesitant to come fully on board with the ban on Russian oil, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has chastised the European Commission over the dispute on the Russian oil embargo. As per the reports of ORF, Nehammer, at a meeting with his Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Prague, stated that he believes that it is fundamentally important, especially for the European Commission not to publicise the outcomes until the negotiations are completely done.

The Chancellor went on to say that the European Union has distinguished itself by remaining unified in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine and continues to work for unity. However, the more severe and far-reaching sanctions are proposed, the more critical it is to negotiate them in advance with individual member nations so that there is no appearance of opposition around the world. When asked about Hungary's opposition to the EU's proposed oil embargo, he stated that it should be obvious to the EU that countries that are more dependent on Russian oil also have the prospect of continuing to obtain crude oil from the Russian Federation.

Meanwhile, Petr Fiala said that in the case of EU sanctions against Russia, it appears to the outside world that they are not alone. He emphasised that the Czech Republic firmly supports the upcoming Russian sanctions but the concept should be that sanctions on Russia should be more painful to them rather than to the countries that are imposing those sanctions. 

EU members failed to reach an agreement on the sixth package of sanctions

The EU members failed to reach an agreement on the sixth package of sanctions, which includes an oil embargo on Russia, the day before as some countries are heavily dependent on Russian oil imports. On May 4, the European Commission recommended its sixth package of measures. However, it was opposed by Hungary, which is heavily reliant on Russian oil. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said that it's impossible to say how long it will take to achieve an agreement, according to Xinhua. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has continuously asked the EU to impose sanctions on Russian oil imports.  

Image: AP