European Union considering limiting Russian oil supplies via Druzhba pipeline

(Patria) - Brussels is considering introducing trade restrictions on further imports of Russian fuel via the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Hungary and Slovakia, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

According to them, these plans are separate from the proposed 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which would affect Russian LNG and oil tankers that the European Commission considers to be Russia's shadow fleet.

Unlike sanctions that require the support of everyone in the European Union, trade measures such as tariffs only require the support of a majority of member states. In this way, the European Union expects to fulfill a key demand of US President Donald Trump, who called for tariffs on China and India as punishment for buying Russian crude oil, despite the opposition of Budapest and Bratislava.

Earlier on Saturday, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis announced that even if the new package of EU sanctions against Russia is not aimed at the purchase of Russian oil, it will affect LNG supplies. He emphasized that work on the gradual phasing out of Russian fossil fuels will continue, but did not specify a timeframe.

Earlier, the European Commission proposed abandoning Russian LNG by the beginning of 2027, a year earlier than originally planned, TASS reported, citing Bloomberg.