EU members were unable to agree on a ninth package of Russia sanctions Wednesday night, as the bloc’s leaders gathered in Brussels for their last summit of the year on Thursday.

Countries moved closer to a deal in Wednesday’s negotiations but Poland and several other countries maintained their objections.

New sanctions have been held up by disagreement over whether the EU should make it easier for Russian fertilizer exports to pass through European ports, even when the fertilizer companies are owned by blacklisted oligarchs.

Some say EU restrictions pose a food security threat to developing countries, while others argue that relaxing them would allow Russian oligarchs to dodge EU sanctions against them. Some EU members want the World Food Program involved in authorizing exports of fertilizer to countries who need them.

Source: VOV5