Athens holds out on LNG sanctions

Athens holds out on LNG sanctions focuses on Greece’s resistance to a proposed EU measure targeting Russian liquefied natural gas transport. The European Commission is scrambling to preserve a key part of the bloc’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, according to four EU diplomats. Greece argues that banning LNG transport of Russian gas would be devastating for its shipping industry, leading the Commission to assess the ban’s economic impact before an Anticis meeting on Tuesday and an EU ambassadors gathering on Wednesday. Diplomats said the goal is to show the measure would cost Russia more than Greece and would be hard to bypass by shifting flags. As a last resort, the EU could offer Greece a derogation. Greek officials want evidence that the costs to Russia are significantly higher and that the ban would not enable third-country rivals to replace Greek shipping firms.