Diplomat: Moscow will find other oil importers after EU's embargo
As the European Union has agreed to an embargo on most Russian oil imports after late-night talks at a summit in Brussels, a Russian diplomat reassures that Moscow will seek other oil importers.
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Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov
Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said on Tuesday that Moscow will seek other oil importers to replace the European Union.
Earlier in the day, European Council President Charles Michel stated that on the first day of the summit in Brussels, EU leaders were able to reconcile and agree on a partial ban on Russian oil imports, effectively unblocking the sixth package of sanctions against Moscow. The partial embargo will affect two-thirds of the country's oil imports.
On her account, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the ban "will effectively cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year".
Before going into effect, the sixth EU package of sanctions against Russia must be officially approved and ratified by all member states.
Five sanctions packages have already been implemented by the EU. The European Commission announced plans to impose a blanket ban on Russian oil a few weeks ago, but several European countries, including Hungary, vetoed it due to concerns about the impact on their economies and energy security.
An EU source told Sputnik on Sunday that the bloc decided against prohibiting deliveries through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline in order to gain Budapest's support.
