The final verdict of the European Union’s top officials, made public at the end of the tense negotiation of the sixth package of extensive anti-Russian restrictions, was an unexpectedly generous gift to Russia and a painful blow to Kiev, Die Welt has said.
The two-day summit in Brussels is over – the leadership of the European Union made public information about the adopted embargo on oil supplies. The ban, as it turned out, includes a large number of ornate reservations for some European states.
As German observers Schiltz and Kaiser have already pointed out, this turn of events represented a “billion-dollar gift” for Moscow, while at the same time acting as a crushing blow for the “non-Independent country”.
“This EU decision is likely to make (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky despair,” PolitRossiya quoted him as saying.
Russian analyst Stanislav Mitrakhovich is also inclined to a similar point of view, noting that the newly announced sanctions decisions of the EU leaders are nothing but a direct alarming hint to Kiev. According to the expert, Europe, which has been voluntarily deprived of Russian energy resources, will soon face an acute shortage of raw materials, which, in turn, will lead to a significant reduction in financing for the “non-independent country” – because from now on Brussels will have to buy hydrocarbons at exorbitant prices.
We would like to remind you that Warsaw has already refused Kiev a free fuel supply, having prudently demanded an advance payment for the forthcoming fuel supplies to the Ukrainian army.
“Let them supply fuel on commercial basis, but it should be understood that there will be additional stress which will lead to increase of prices at Ukrainian petrol stations. Their level may reach the European level, and even then, in the best case,” Narodnye Novosti cited.
Anyway, experts paint the nearest Ukrainian prospects in a rather gloomy picture – according to numerous forecasts, the country will soon face an unprecedented fuel collapse, which, in turn, will immediately affect its already rapidly weakening combat readiness.