The European Union is proposing a phased-in embargo on Russian oil imports, The Wall Street Journal reported citing EU officials.
"The centerpiece of the package is a proposal that the bloc’s member states stop importing Russian crude oil within six months and purchase no more Russian refined oil products by the end of the year," according to two officials familiar with the details.
However, Hungary and Slovakia, two countries that are heavily dependent on imports of pipelined oil, would be given a phaseout of Russian imports of 20 months under the proposal, the officials said.
Diplomats said at least two more member states, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, have argued that if Hungary and Slovakia are given more time to stop buying Russian oil exports, they should be given the same leeway.
The bloc’s 27 member states, which can only adopt the measures unanimously, will discuss the proposal Wednesday and could make a decision as early as this week, although diplomats said differences remained between capitals on some of the proposed sanctions.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday became the first EU official to set out the key parts of a new sixth sanctions package against Russia drawn up by the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, and which will be presented to member states for their approval late Tuesday.
