Representatives of EU member states were set to meet at 3:30 p.m. in Brussels after previous attempts failed to produce a deal, Polish Radio's Brussels correspondent Beata Płomecka reported. Pressure to reach an agreement is mounting, particularly over the price cap on Russian oil.
Under existing sanctions rules, the cap is automatically adjusted every six months, set 15% below the average market price. It currently stands at just over USD 44 a barrel. But prices have surged following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and if the scheduled adjustment goes ahead on July 15, the cap would rise to USD 58.
The European Commission has proposed freezing the cap at its current level until January to prevent a jump in Kremlin oil revenue — a move opposed by Cyprus, Malta and Greece, which fear it would hurt their shipping companies that transport Russian oil to countries outside the bloc. The EU itself has already banned Russian oil imports.
Member states also remain divided over a proposed ban on selling LNG tankers to Russia and restrictions on Russian LNG transit.
Dispute over soldiers, Patriarch Kirill
A second point of contention involves a proposed EU entry ban for Russian soldiers who served in the military after Moscow launched its war on Ukraine. Legal concerns have emerged, and the latest proposal would likely replace the outright ban with short-term visas for soldiers who took part in the invasion and fought in Ukraine.
Also disputed is the EU's sanctions blacklist, which would bar entry and freeze assets — chiefly targeting Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The European Commission had proposed sanctioning Kirill, one of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies, who has backed the invasion of Ukraine, calling it "a war against evil and the only righteous choice".
Kirill has been an EU target since the war began but has previously been shielded by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He is now being protected by Bulgaria's new prime minister, Rumen Radev, who opposes adding him to the sanctions list.
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Source: Polish Radio