OREANDA-NEWS EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on France Info radio that the conflict in Ukraine would become protracted and advocated further sanctions pressure on Russia. According to him, "the Russian economy is already beginning to stop," and further pressure on Moscow will provide Kyiv with a better position in the negotiations.

“The current situation in Ukraine will be long, the aggressiveness of the actions of the Russian Federation will increase. We must continue to provide Ukraine with the means to fight, as well as put economic pressure on Russia,” Borrell said.

He also suggested that an agreement on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia would be reached before the end of the day, and Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, opposed to the oil embargo, could get a delay to find solutions and reduce purchases of Russian oil products.

"It is important to find a solution that would suit everyone," he concluded.

Earlier, the head of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, said that he did not rule out the solution of the issue of the oil embargo against Russia without the participation of Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orban needs to be shown that he cannot hold the rest of the EU hostage by blocking such decisions, he said.