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EU stops short of including ban on Russian pipe gas in 11th sanctions package — Politico

Sanctions package 'nearly ready' and 'imposing this huge measure at the moment won't work', newspaper quotes diplomat from EU country

BRUSSELS, May 17. /TASS/. European Union countries are unlikely to agree on including a ban on pipeline gas from Russia into its 11th package of anti-Russian sanctions, the European edition of the Politico newspaper said on Tuesday.

"From what I hear, it is very unlikely this will pass," the newspaper quoted a diplomat from an EU country as saying. "There is too much resistance from the countries dependent on the remaining gas."

He added that the 11th sanctions package "is almost done" and "inserting this huge measure at this moment is not going to work."

The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Group of Seven (G7) members and the European Union are set to prohibit imports of Russian pipeline gas via routes where Moscow had earlier reduced its supplies. The paper said that the move was designed to prevent the resumption of Russian pipeline gas deliveries to countries such as Poland and Germany. The sanctions may also affect the northern stretch of the Druzhba pipeline, which delivers oil to processing facilities in Poland and Germany.