The Twenty-Seven continue without closing a pact on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, after the objections raised by Greece to part of the new measures have prevented reaching unanimity, so EU partners will try again to unlock the negotiation this Thursday.
The ambassadors of the Member States, gathered this Wednesday in Brussels, have maintained "technical contacts and consultations" throughout the day, but the discrepancies between capitals continue to prevent for now an understanding that requires the support of the 27, according to European sources.
In recent days, one of the most controversial points has been the proposal to limit the transport of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries, an initiative that Athens rejects considering that its effect to contain Moscow's exports would be reduced.
Diplomatic sources explain to Europa Press that Greece refuses to expand the veto on maritime services destined for markets outside the EU because, in their opinion, that activity would pass into the hands of non-EU operators, so the blow would fall mainly on the European shipping sector.
In the same vein, these sources emphasize that the transport of LNG from the Russian Arctic requires a very specialized fleet and a high level of technical knowledge that only a few companies in the world possess, so the restrictions could end up facilitating the transfer of those assets and that technological capacity to companies from third countries.
The new package of sanctions seeks to increase economic pressure on Moscow with additional measures against the so-called "ghost fleet," used to evade Western restrictions on Russian crude oil trade, as well as to expand the list of individuals, entities, and companies linked to the Russian military-industrial complex and strengthen the instruments to prevent sanction evasion.