Reuters has learned about the failure of the EU ambassadors at a meeting to coordinate sanctions against Russia

The ambassadors of the EU countries at the meeting could not come to an agreement on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. This was reported on February 20 by the Reuters news agency, citing diplomats.

"The EU ambassadors were unable to agree on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which may include a complete ban on the maritime transportation of Russian crude oil," the newspaper said.

Diplomats want to discuss sanctions again this weekend, on February 21 and 22.

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On February 18, Evgeny Zlenko, project manager of the Polylog Group, told Izvestia that the EU is facing internal economic pressure, which limits the possibilities for further tightening of sanctions. According to him, against the background of stagnation, budget deficits and growing social tension, it is becoming increasingly difficult for EU countries to maintain the previous level of sanctions pressure.

Bloomberg reported that some countries, such as Italy, Hungary, Greece, Malta and Spain, are opposed to imposing restrictions on ports and banks related to the transportation of Russian oil. This could undermine the effectiveness of the new sanctions package. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on February 6 that the 20th package of sanctions against Russia would include a complete ban on the transportation of Russian oil.

On February 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov drew attention to the fact that the West, which seeks to dominate the energy and oil industries, does not want to give up its once dominant positions. According to him, the struggle for primacy among European states has become especially evident with the advent of the administration of American President Donald Trump.

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