Brussels [Belgium], May 31 (ANI): The EU leaders, on the first day of the summit in Brussels, agreed to ban “more than 2/3rd” of Russian oil imports, European Council President Charles Michel said on Tuesday. “Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war,” Michel tweeted.
“This sanctions package includes other hard-hitting measures: de-Swifting the largest Russian bank Sberbank, banning 3 more Russian state-owned broadcasters, and sanctioning individuals responsible for war crimes in #Ukraine,” he added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU, after reaching an agreement on a partial ban on Russian oil, will cut oil imports from Russia by 90 per cent by the end of 2022. “I welcome the EUCO agreement tonight on oil sanctions against Russia. This will effectively cut around 90 per cent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year,” von der Leyen said on Twitter.
In another tweet, European Council President said EU leaders have expressed their readiness to additionally provide 9 billion euros (USD 9.7 billion) in assistance to Ukraine.
“EUCO will continue helping #Ukraine with its immediate liquidity needs, together with @G7. EUCO is ready to grant #Ukraine EUR 9 billion. Strong and concrete support to #Ukraine’s reconstruction,” Michel said.
Earlier, Michel said EU leaders, on the first day of the summit in Brussels, agreed on a partial ban on oil imports from Russia. (ANI)
Bulgaria exempted from EU embargo on Russian Oil imports
Moscow [Russia], May 31 (ANI/Sputnik): Bulgaria has obtained a temporary exemption to purchase Russian oil within the sixth package of EU sanctions until the end of 2024, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Tuesday.
On Monday night, the EU leaders reached an agreement at a summit in Brussels to embargo Russian oil supplied by sea, while pipeline deliveries will continue as normal for now. European Council President Charles Michel said earlier on Tuesday that there will be temporary exemptions for landlocked member states, such as Hungary and the Czech Republic.
“Today will come to the general conclusion, which has no exact details by country, but in the real agreements, which will come in two days, Bulgaria will have a separate paragraph with a derogation specifically for us, up to the end of 2024,” Petkov told reporters, as quoted by The Sofia Globe news website. (ANI/Sputnik)
Russian gas deliveries to Orsted, Shell Energy Europe to be suspended from June: Gazprom
Moscow [Russia], May 31 (ANI/Sputnik): Danish energy giant Orsted and Shell Energy Europe have said that they will not pay for Russian gas in Rubles, Gazprom Export said on Tuesday, adding that it informed both companies that gas deliveries will be suspended from June 1.
The Danish company Orsted notified Gazprom Export LLC that it does not intend to make payments for the supplied gas in rubles… Shell Energy Europe Limited… does not intend to make payments under the contract for the supply of gas to Germany in rubles,” Gazprom Export said in a statement.
The Russian company said that it had not received payment for April gas deliveries from Orsted and Shell Energy Europe. “In this regard, Gazprom Export notified Oersted… Shell Energy Europe Limited of the suspension of gas supplies from June 1, 2022,” Gazprom Export said. (ANI/Sputnik)
