The EU Commission announced plans on Wednesday to ban the import of oil from Russia by the end of 2022 and to sanction Russians who committed war crimes in Ukraine.
“Putin must pay a high price for his brutal aggression,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said as she unveiled a sixth set of proposed EU sanctions against Russia, which will require unanimous approval from member states before they can come into effect.
Von der Leyen said the EU would seek to end its dependency on Russian oil, a major source of revenue for the Kremlin. Crude oil would be phased out in six months and refined products by the end of 2022, she said.
Banning oil imports from Russia “will not be easy”
“Let´s be clear: it will not be easy. But we simply have to work on it. We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion. To maximize pressure on Russia, while minimizing the impact on our economies.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the bloc’s parliament in Strasbourg that member states should cease to buy oil supplies within six months and associated products from Russia by the end of 2022.
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