{"text":[[{"start":9.15,"text":"Greek shipping company Dynagas will be allowed to continue carrying Russian liquefied natural gas under fresh sanctions against Moscow set to be agreed by EU countries, according to three diplomats briefed on the negotiations."}],[{"start":22.950000000000003,"text":"The deal, still to be approved by the EU27 envoys on Thursday, would allow companies from the bloc to continue transporting Moscow’s LNG exports to third countries for a 12-month period that could be renewed, the people said. However, volumes would be capped at 2025 levels. "}],[{"start":40.6,"text":"Countries are also due to sign off on extending a price cap on Russian oil at $44.10 a barrel for a year as they look to continue restricting Moscow’s fossil-fuel revenues. "}],[{"start":52.6,"text":"That cap would have otherwise automatically increased on Thursday due to a system that benchmarks it to the global oil price. Crude prices hit a six-week high above $95 a barrel earlier on Wednesday following more than a week of strikes by the US and Iran. Shipping through the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway has ground to a near halt. "}],[{"start":74.3,"text":"Brussels has implemented 20 sanctions packages against Moscow since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Some member states and the European Commission wanted to ban the transport of Russian LNG to third countries in the latest package, but their proposals were met with an increasingly vociferous pushback from others worried about the damage to their economic interests. "}],[{"start":97.65,"text":"The eleventh-hour compromise follows significant opposition from Athens and other EU capitals that argued it would hurt specific industries or companies in their countries."}],[{"start":107.7,"text":"Athens in particular pushed back against the sanctions package on behalf of Dynagas, which is owned by the billionaire George Prokopiou and operates 27 gas tankers, according to maritime data portal Equasis. "}],[{"start":121.2,"text":"These include a third of the fleet of Arc7 tankers, which are built to handle the icy Arctic waters around Russia’s Yamal LNG plant. "}],[{"start":130.1,"text":"Athens has held up approval of the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia for more than a week, leaving other measures such as sanctions against more banks, cryptocurrency networks and military-industrial companies in limbo."}],[{"start":144.25,"text":"The proposed agreement was described as “outrageous” by one senior EU official late on Wednesday night, reflecting the increased difficulty in reaching consensus on additional measures against Russia."}],[{"start":163.1,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1784764417_5455.mp3"}