EU may reach deal on Russian oil ban 'in a matter of weeks', Ursula von der Leyen tells Euronews
A deal on a stalled proposal to introduce an EU-wide ban on Russian oil imports could be reached "in a matter of weeks," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is one of the staunchest advocates behind the measure.
The comments come three weeks after she unveiled plans to introduce a phased-in embargo on Russian oil as part of a sixth round of sanctions which would give member states six months to phase out purchases of Russian crude oil and until the end of the year to stop buying all refined oil products.
But soon after her announcement, several member states, including Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, raised concerns and asked for tailor-made exceptions to have more time to adapt their refineries and cushion the economic impact.
Several rounds of intense negotiations have failed to deliver the much-needed breakthrough, with Hungary emerging as the main and most vocal opponent.
"We're working hard on it because we have a few member states that really have technical problems. They are landlocked so they cannot get the oil via the sea. They need alternatives and pipelines, and they need work on updating their refineries," von der Leyen told Euronews at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"Here, we're working hard to find technical solutions. Solidarity solutions from other member states, but also the financial investment into, for example, renewables," she added.
"It's a complex mechanism. I hope that we're done with that in a matter of weeks."
Von der Leyen's optimistic assessment echoes the words of German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who have also indicated a deal was imminent.
However, in a letter seen by the Financial Times, Hungary's Prime
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