EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton says it is “unfair” to call the European Union divided over an oil embargo against Russia, despite Hungary saying it would not support the sanctions.
The European Commission is now discussing changes to win over countries, including Hungary and Slovakia. Hungary has warned it cannot accept the EU’s planned ban on Russian oil saying it would amount to an “atomic bomb” for its economy.
Breton insisted the EU has acted very quickly to put in place five packages of sanctions so far and that they must hold discussions to take care of everyone.
“We have two countries which are 100% dependent on oil, Russian oil, so we have to take care of them. In other words, if we apply these sanctions, we have also to propose alternative solutions to the ones who need it. This is exactly what we are doing. This is why it’s taking a little bit of time, but we are working on it in solidarity,” he told CNN’s Richard Quest.
Breton also had strong words for the chief executive of Volkswagen, who had called for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine so that sanctions can be lifted.
“Listen, there is a war here. And a war is a matter of states, it’s not a matter of companies. We have always been very clear, with every single industrial ecosystem and companies. We will take care of what we have to take care of, but a war is a matter of the state- no one else
