EU leaders hash out deal over Russian oil ban at special Brussels summit

The European flag is seen on the car of European Council President Charles Michel in Paris, France, Jan. 11, 2022. - Copyright AP Photo/Francois Mori

By Alice Tidey

Published on 30/05/2022 - 14:12•Updated 23:14

Comments

EU leaders will discuss food security and energy at a special summit on Monday.

European Union leaders were on Monday evening, ironing out the details of the sixth round of sanctions against Russian including an oil ban -- set to be much weaker than initially envisioned.

The Commission's proposals unveiled nearly four weeks ago planned for a total ban on Russian oil imports, phased in a way to allow several member states more time to find alternative supply sources.

But unlike previous sanction packages that were swiftly adopted, negotiations over this one stalled very quickly as Hungary and other landlocked countries demanded a longer phasing out period and more EU funds.

Leaders were hashing out the details on Monday for a compromise that would exclude Russian oil transported by pipeline from the ban, with a senior EU official saying in the early evening that the "situation on sixth package is complex but there is light at the end of the tunnel."