European Union countries will stop importing Russian oil and refined products, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday as she proposed a sixth round of sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
“We will phase out Russian supplies of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year,” Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament, drawing applause from lawmakers. “This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil.”
“It won’t be easy. Some member states are heavily dependent on Russian oil. But we just have to work on it,” von der Leyen said of the proposal, which requires approval from all 27 EU countries to take effect.
In addition to this measure, the sanctions package also includes the exclusion of more Russian banks from the Swift system and the banning of three Russian state-owned communication channels, which will not be able to distribute content in Europe via cable, satellite, internet or apps. The European chief executive called the channels “mouthpieces for Putin’s lies and propaganda”.
Also part of the proposal put forward by van der Leyen is a reconstruction plan for post-war Ukraine. “This package must bring massive investments to meet the needs and necessary reforms,” ​​the EU’s chief executive told the European Parliament. “Eventually, it will pave the way for Ukraine’s future within the European Union,” von der Leyen said.
