Belgian Prime Minister Suggests Pause In Sanctions Pressure On Russia

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The Belgian prime minister on Tuesday called the EU ban on much of Russian oil imports a "big step forward" and suggested there was no need for now to continue piling sanctions on Moscow.

"This is an important step. Let's stop there for the moment and let's see what the impact of the package is," Alexander De Croo said in a doorstep interview ahead of the second day of an EU leaders' summit in Brussels.

The 27-member European Union agreed late on Monday that the sixth package of sanctions will cover exports of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia, with a temporary exception for pipeline deliveries.

Asked whether the EU would now consider moving to a ban on Russian gas imports, De Croo argued that abandoning Russian gas would cause Moscow less pain than the oil embargo and create problems for the EU.