The European Union (EU) launched this Wednesday the proposal to gradually block its oil imports from Russia, presenting its sixth package of sanctions against Moscow for the war in ukraine.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenoutlined before the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, the new package of sanctions -negotiated with the countries of the bloc-, and assured that it sends a message to the promoters of the war: “We know who they are, and we will hold them responsible”.
The central point of the new package presented by the EU is the explicit decision to apply an embargo on oil imports from Russia.
We are going to phase out Russian oil deliveries over a six-month period and crude oil product deliveries by the end of the year,” von der Leyen said.
The official admitted that the task “will not be easy.” “Some member states [de la Unión Europea] depend largely on russian oil. But we have to work on this,” she added.
The intention, he added, is for the ban to include all Russian oil “transported by sea and by pipeline, crude and refined.”
Diplomatic sources in Brussels confided to AFP that the proposal was distributed to member countries shortly before midnight on Tuesday.
The package must be approved unanimously by the Member States so that it can be implemented, and according to a diplomatic source, the list of people and entities to be sanctioned could be modified.
sensitive issue
The suspension of European imports of Russian oil is an extremely sensitive issue, since several countries in the bloc are highly dependent on crude oil from Russia to keep their industries running.
Therefore, Von der Leyen assured that the cessation of imports will be done “in a way that allows us and our partners to ensure alternative supply routes and minimize the impact on global markets.”
Internal documents to which AFP had access confirm that the proposal is to adopt an exception until 2023 for Hungary and Slovakia, two countries that depend almost entirely on Russian crude.
In Moscow, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskovpointed out that sanctions are “a double-edged sword. By trying to harm us, they will also have to pay a high price. They are already paying a high price. And the cost of sanctions for the citizens of Europe will grow day by day” .
Shortly after von der Leyen’s speech, however, the Hungarian government lamented the absence of “guarantees” for its energy security.
“We do not see any plan or guarantee how even a transition could be managed on the basis of current proposals, and how it could guarantee Hungary’s energy security,” the government press office told AFP in a message.
For his part, the German Economy Minister Robert Habeckadmitted that “we cannot guarantee that there will be no disturbances” in the supply of oil, especially at the regional level.
Habeck also warned in a press conference that “prices could also increase significantly” in the next semester.
European countries pledged at a Versailles summit in March to gradually wean themselves off their dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal.
Russia supplied in 2021 approximately 30% of crude oil and 15% of oil derivatives purchased by the European Union.
sanctioned list
In addition, the documents consulted by AFP reveal a long list of personalities and Russian soldiers to be included among those sanctioned by the European Union.
The list includes the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and Speaker Peskov himself, as well as his family.
Von der Leyen also advanced before Parliament that the European Union intends to exclude the largest bank in Russia, Sberbankof the SWIFT interbank network.
Hitting “banks of critical systemic importance to the Russian financial system” will reinforce Russia’s “total isolation” and weaken its ability to finance the war in Ukraine, he said.