Steven N.Germany would be willing to support imposing an EU embargo on Russian oil without Hungary, said German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck.
In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, Germany’s national public service radio, the Green politician said he was disappointed with how protracted the oil embargo matter had become.
The European Commission is leading the negotiations on the topic, and if the head of the Brussels-based body says “we will do it with 26 members and without Hungary, then this is a path I would always support,” Habeck said.
However, he said he had not heard such a proposal from the President of the European Commission, and he himself expected that the issue would eventually be resolved “as it always is” in the EU, meaning that “some countries will receive quasi-special rights” such as relief or a deferral, and the EU will devise new sanctions with the participation of all 27 EU member states.
On Saturday, Europen Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley told Deutschlandfunk that the EU may have to decide on a sixth round of Russian sanctions without Hungary, claiming that the Hungarian government was trying to take advantage of the sanctions proposal to “get more money” out of the European Union. [444]
