Lithuanian Foreign Minister Says Ukraine Should 'Decouple' Itself From Russian Gas, Oil

Ukraine halting the transit of Russian gas and oil to Europe would solve the problem of Hungary resisting the collective oil embargo, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2022) Ukraine halting the transit of Russian gas and oil to Europe would solve the problem of Hungary resisting the collective oil embargo, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday.

"One of the solutions could be help Ukraine to decouple itself from Russian oil and gas. As you know, the member-state (Hungary) who cannot help us find a consensus is dependent on the traffic from Ukraine so if the traffic would be stopped from Ukraine, the sanctions question will be solved altogether," Landsbergis told reporters before the start of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics applied for help in fending off Kiev's provocations. The United States and the EU have since been pressuring Russia with sanctions and have rolled out a number of sanctions packages, which include airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions.

Hungary and several other European countries are blocking the decision on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia due to the proposed embargo on oil supplies.