By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters). BRUSSELS (Reuters). According to an EU source, Hungary and Slovakia are allowed to keep buying Russian oil until 2023 as per existing contracts. These exemptions come in the wake of an EU Commission proposal for an oil embargo.

Wednesday’s EU Executive proposal included a six-month ban on EU imports from Russia of crude oil and a restriction on the sale of refined oils products at the end of this year.

Brussels proposed that Slovakia and Hungary be subject to an extended embargo in order to persuade other countries to not veto it. The source declined to name the reason for the sensitive nature of the issue.

Only existing agreements for crude oil that have been signed by Slovakia and Hungary with Russia would be exempt.

Source declined to say whether exemption applied to refined products.

The Commission is currently discussing the proposal. To be approved, it needs the support of all EU countries. The matter was discussed at a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, 0730 GMT.

According to a second source familiar with the talks, the delayed embargo on Hungary and Slovakia that was proposed until 2023 may be the solution that will allow for an agreement.

Hungary, which is dependent heavily on Russian oil has said repeatedly it won’t sign up for sanctions related to energy. Slovakia is also one of the EU member countries that most depends on Russian fossil fuels.

Globally, Russia is 26% dependent on the EU for its oil imports.

According to the International Energy Agency, Slovakia and Hungary were both along the Druzhba Pipeline’s southern route, which brings Russian oil to Europe. They received respective 96% and 58% respectively of Russia’s crude oil and products imports last year.