BRUSSELS: European Union leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday for their final summit of the year, diplomats told, as EU member states failed to reach consensus on a ninth package of Russia sanctions during late-night talks on Wednesday. .

In talks on Wednesday, the nations came close to an agreement, but Poland and some other countries still had reservations, an EU diplomat told Reuters, with a new draft expected to be delivered on Thursday night.

Disagreement over whether the EU should facilitate Russian fertilizer exports through European ports, even though blacklisted fertilizer companies are owned by oligarchs, has delayed the implementation of new sanctions against Moscow.

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Some claim that EU sanctions threaten the food security of developing countries, while others claim that loosening them would enable Russian oligarchs who own fertilizer companies to avoid EU sanctions.

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According to an EU diplomat, Poland and the Baltic states are advising other countries to act if they believe the easing of sanctions on Russian fertilizers will not be exploited as a loophole by oligarchs.

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Some member states want the World Food Program to be involved in approving fertilizer exports to developing countries.