Thread by @DaveKeating

Break: #EUCO agreement reached on #RussianOil ban

https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1531396163185827843

This is a compromise that will only ban #RussianOil imports by ship, but keep imports via pipeline. That was the only way they could overcome the veto from Hungary's Viktor #Orban.

It is a political agreement, it will still need to be translated into a legal text in coming days.

Breaking the impasse on the #OilEmbargo means that the entire sixth package of 🇪🇺sanctions against Russia can now be adopted.

It includes a #SWIFT ban on Sbrebank, banning 3 Russian broadcasters and new sanctions on individual Russians.

Council President Charles Michel says tonight's #OilEmbargo agreement is "maximum pressure on Russia to end the war" - a rather odd thing to say when 1/3 of oil imports are exempt and gas hasn't been touched.

It's a huge move, but it's not the maximum.

https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/1531391899218608133?s=20&t=dhyed1Yk2_U6AGn4Uc_H4g

🇩🇪Chancellor Scholz hails the #RussianOil ban compromise reached tonight.

https://twitter.com/germanyintheeu/status/1531401424621514753?s=20&t=h2dwOFFpWQT7GOa4dU_IaA

I'm getting some more information about why President VDL said this will "effectively" cut 90% of 🇷🇺oil imports even though only 66% has been banned.

Germany & Poland won't use the exemption on pipelines, which is how they get their Russian oil, I'm told. Let's see if confirmed.

What I'm hearing is that #RussianOil imports from the northern Druzhba pipeline (to 🇩🇪🇵🇱) will end by the end of this year.

Southern Druzhba pipeline imports (to 🇭🇺🇸🇰🇨🇿) will continue, will stop at some future point. Waiting for confirmation

That means much more than 2/3 banned

President @VonDerLeyen speaking now. She repeats her assertion that today's compromise will still mean an effective ban on 90% of #RussianOil imports by the end of this year.

"The remaining 10%, we will soon return to the issue."

Now confirmed - @EUCOPresident says the 90% figure is because of the verbal assurances from 🇩🇪🇵🇱 that they will end #RussianOil pipeline imports by the end of the year even though they don't have to under this compromise

VDL: imports from Northern #Druzhba will end by year's end

As for the Southern #Druzhba pipeline (to 🇭🇺🇸🇰🇨🇿), #RussianOil imports will continue after the end of this year, meaning 10% of 🇪🇺 #RussianOil imports will continue

VDL: "This is a topic we will have to come back to and we'll still have to work on. But this was a big step today"

#Hungary has won an exemption that it can get 🇷🇺oil from ships if something happens to pipeline running through 🇺🇦 (Orban demanded this after being enraged by last week's perceived 🇺🇦 threat).

VDL says they will work on expanding a different pipeline to 🇭🇺 with non-Russian oil.

Long story short: there's a lot of trust needed for this #EUCO compromise.

Trust that Germany & Poland will keep to verbal assurances they won't use the pipeline exemption. Trust that Hungary won't let #RussianOil flow to rest of 🇪🇺. Trust that 🇭🇺🇸🇰🇨🇿will eventually stop imports

🇫🇷French President Emmanuel #Macron heralds the overnight breakthrough - using the 90% figure that relies on the 🇩🇪🇵🇱 verbal agreement, rather than the 2/3 figure.

https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1531408068269211649?s=20&t=-6NshhP8L9sgrboY8711hw

🇭🇺PM #Orban posts video to Facebook declaring victory in his battle against 🇪🇺#RussianOil embargo.

"#Hungary is exempt from the oil embargo.” Exemption is not time-limited, and additionally he's secured right to import by sea if pipeline through 🇺🇦damaged fb.watch/dloevfE5rw/

🇧🇪PM De Croo says #OilEmbargo exemption for #Hungary should only last "a short period of time", but acknowledges there was no agreement on when, if ever, 🇭🇺 imports end.

Will 🇪🇺 now work on a #GasBan? No, he says, focus should be on implementing #OilBan.

https://twitter.com/alexanderdecroo/status/1531410052594163712?s=20&t=h2dwOFFpWQT7GOa4dU_IaA

🇳🇱PM #Rutte disputes idea this is an #Orban victory.

"We have to acknowledge they're in a difficult position...I think they have a point”

He says 🇭🇺 exemption won't be indefinite. "We'll come back at next #EUCO. We have to assess...what is reasonable in terms of the time-lapse”

Hungarian PM #Orban finally dropped his veto on 🇪🇺 #RussianOilBan overnight after a compromise was reached exempting imports by pipeline, leaving 🇭🇺 completely unaffected.

But Germany & Poland will not use the exemption, so the agreement will end 90% of #RussianOil by year's end

The 🇪🇺 overnight Russian #OilEmbargo agreement is a major step, but it's also a victory for #Orban

National vetos on 🇪🇺 foreign policy enabled him to make 🇭🇺 indefinitely exempt from the ban and he even got an emergency clause to circumvent any 🇺🇦 attempt to sabotage his supply