EU’s Russia sanctions effort slows over oil dependency

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s efforts to impose new sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine appear to have bogged down. A small group of countries dependent on Russia for energy supplies oppose a ban on oil imports. The group is led by Hungary and includes the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the bloc has slapped five rounds of sanctions on Moscow. But limiting Russia’s energy income by weaning the EU’s dependency off of Russian oil is proving a tougher nut to crack. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday that “unhappily today it has not been possible to reach an agreement” among European foreign ministers. Borrell said EU ambassadors would keep working on the issue.