President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has ruled out an EU-wide agreement to prohibit Russian oil imports at the European Council session next week.

Von der Leyen stated in an interview with Politico on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos that she did not want to create "false expectations" that a deal would be reached the following week.

She stated, "I don't believe this is a topic that should be resolved by the European Council because it is so technical." "We're discussing landlocked countries that require alternative pipeline supply, so you must discuss investment in pipelines to increase supply, and we're discussing refineries that must be modernized, as well as investment and renewable energy."

Her remarks come after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that he would not discuss Russian sanctions at the conference scheduled for May 30-31.

The imposition of sanctions on Russian energy is a crucial credibility test for the EU. Almost three weeks have passed since von der Leyen advocated a "complete ban" on all imports of Russian crude oil and refined fuels to sever a lucrative cash stream that helps Vladimir Putin pay for his invasion of Ukraine.

Despite multiple rounds of negotiations and the offer of additional time to prepare for a ban, Hungary has prevented the 27 EU countries from reaching an agreement on sanctions. Budapest has cautioned that a ban on Russian oil would be catastrophic for the Hungarian economy.

The government of Orbán has estimated that it will cost between €15 and €18 billion to end Hungary's reliance on Russian oil, including infrastructure upgrades to refineries and pipelines. In Brussels, discussions are ongoing regarding how to respond to Hungary's monetary requests.

"There is a political element that could be discussed, which is how much the other 26 [member countries] are willing to concede to Hungary in terms of investment," von der Leyen said. "However, the first and foremost difficulties are the technical ones we're discussing right now."

When asked if she anticipated that the matter would be tackled during the summit next week, she responded, "I do not anticipate it, and I do not wish to create false expectations here."

Von von Leyen said she would speak with Orbán in the coming days.

"I visited him in Budapest to comprehend the ramifications, and it is genuinely a complex and challenging technological problem. Politics are always a factor, but this is essentially a technical issue, and we are in daily contact with the two cabinets because "what must move forward is... extremely technical."

She continued, "I am always in contact with him via telephone, if necessary."