OREANDA-NEWS A new package of anti-Russian sanctions will only make Russian President Vladimir Putin smile, Croatian leader Zoran Milanovic said, RIA Novosti reports. He also acknowledged that sanctions against Russia do not work, and European citizens will have to pay for them.

"Introduce another gas embargo against Russia. Why don't you? Unfortunately, the sanctions do not work, perhaps they will work someday. European citizens will pay the price, and Vladimir Putin will smile with satisfaction," Milanovich said.

On May 31, it became known that the leaders of the EU member states agreed on a partial ban on the import of Russian oil. The new restrictions will affect two-thirds of the volume of fuel. A partial embargo on the import of Russian raw materials will be included in the sixth package of EU sanctions. It is still awaiting the formal approval and approval procedure, which will require the consent of all EU members.

The EU planned to phase out Russian crude oil within six months and refined oil by January 2023. However, the EU countries could not agree on new sanctions against Russia, in particular, because of the position of Hungary, which does not support a complete ban on oil imports from the Russian Federation.