EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Thursday that ban on Russian oil imports will be discussed at the summit of EU foreign ministers on April 11 as part of the next round of sanctions against Moscow.
Since the beginning of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, the EU has come up with several rounds of hard-hitting restrictions on Moscow. At the moment European policy makers are discussing in Brussels a fifth package of sanctions which includes a ban on Russian coal imports.
“It is not in the 5th package of sanctions, which is being discussed today, it is only coal. But it will be discussed on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council Ministers meeting. Sooner or later – I hope sooner – it will happen,” Borrell told journalists upon his arrival at a NATO ministerial meeting on Thursday.
According to the European Commission website, the EU depends on Russia for around 45% of its coal imports. In March, European countries imported a total of 7.1 million tons of thermal coal, which is used in power and heat generation. That is a 40.5% increase year-on-year and the highest level of imports since March 2019.
Speaking on Wednesday to MEPs, Borrell said that the bloc had to urgently cut Russian energy imports. He pointed to the fact that since the launch of Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine on February 24, the EU has transferred Russia €35 billion (more than $38,1 billion) in energy payments.
“We have given Ukraine nearly €1 billion. That might seem like a lot, but a billion euro is what we pay Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) every day for the energy he provides us,” the head of EU diplomacy said.
According to Eurostat, Russia is Europe’s biggest oil supplier, providing over a quarter of the bloc’s crude oil imports in 2020 – 113 million tons. Russia also covers roughly 40% of the EU’s natural gas needs.
A week ago, the Russian president criticized the behavior of some Western politicians, saying that they are prepared to sacrifice their citizens’ interests in order to “enjoy the good graces of their overseas master and overlord [implying the US].”
Source: Agencies
