Thursday

8th Jun 2023

Decision on Russian oil embargo looms as civilian deaths mount

Listen to article

EU foreign affairs ministers meeting on Monday (21 March) were considering an oil embargo against Russia amid preparations for a summit at the end of the week with US president Joe Biden, in Brussels.

Ministers were expected to discuss new sanctions on Russia, with Poland and the Baltic states pushing hard for further restrictions as Russian forces continue their onslaught in Ukraine leaving a mounting civilian death toll.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"We are working on a fifth round of sanctions and many new names are being proposed," said a senior EU diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

The most forceful push, though, is coming from the countries that feel most threatened by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

Lithuania's foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the EU cannot "get tired" of sanctions and he stressed that it was "unavoidable" to start discussing a ban on Russian oil imports.

"The credibility of the West is on the line," Landsbergis said, who emphasised the civilian suffering.

"We have to start [a] discussion about the 'red lines' [but] are there any? — and what would they be?" he told reporters on arrival on Monday. "We are seeing thousands of civilians dead, obviously it is still not a 'red line'."

The Lithuanian minister said the two other Baltic states, Latvia, Estonia, including his own country, are in "desperate need" of extra defence measures.

He urged EU countries to send Javelin and Stinger missiles to Ukraine "instead of hopes and prayers."

Nato, Biden, G7

The EU is expected continue the discussion on sanctions in the run-up to the meeting with Biden on Thursday for a series of summits involving the 27 EU heads of state and government, the 30 Nato members; and the Group of Seven (G7) format that includes Japan and the UK.

The EU, along with the Western allies, has already imposed a variety of far-reaching sanctions on Moscow including freezing the assets of the Russian Central Bank and cutting investments in the Russian energy sector.

But the bloc still faces its toughest economic choice — whether to target Russian energy directly, as the US and the UK have done.

That decision is comparatively difficult for the EU as several member states are dependent on Russian gas and oil, and energy prices have already soared in many European countries.

Baltic countries, such as Lithuania, are pushing for an oil embargo as the next logical step, while Germany, one of the most cautious countries, is warning against acting too quickly because of factors including the high energy prices.

The EU relies on Russia for 40 percent of its gas, and Bulgaria, for instance, is almost completely dependent on gas supplies from Russia's Gazprom.

Despite the dependencies, some countries' foreign ministers, like Ivan Korcok of Slovakia, insist that energy sanctions "must remain on the table."

By "receiving energy from Russia, we continue to fund Russia" and this "must be stopped," said Korcok. He pointed out that Slovakia itself depends 100-percent on Russian oil, and 85-percent on Russian gas.

Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod said his country supports "the strongest possible sanctions," including limiting Russia access to European sea ports.

European diplomats have previously indicated that a Russian chemical weapons attack in Ukraine, or a heavy bombardment of the capital Kyiv, could be a trigger for an energy embargo.

Ministers also expressed outrage over Moscow's targeting of civilians, and the unrelenting and terrifying assault on the city of Mariupol.

"Russia is committing a lot of war crimes," said EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, arriving at the meeting Monday. And, he added, what "is happening in Mariupol is a massive war crime."

Opinion

A call to impose 'sanctions from hell' on Russia

A call for "sanctions from hell" and to put pressure on Putin on every front, by the former Ukrainian ambassador to the EU, Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, now back in the capital, Kyiv.

MEPs seek full embargo on Russian energy

MEPs called for an immediate and "full" embargo on Russian oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and gas in response to atrocities in Ukraine. But a coal ban is the only likely move for now.

Opinion

How the EU's money for waste went to waste in Lebanon

The EU led support for the waste management crisis in Lebanon, spending around €89m between 2004-2017, with at least €30m spent on 16 solid-waste management facilities. However, it failed to deliver.

Latest News

  1. EU's proposed ethics body 'toothless', say campaigners
  2. Study: 90% of Spanish inflation 'driven by corporate profits'
  3. If Spanish economy is doing well, why is Sanchez poised to lose?
  4. EU lawyering for Russia: making 'good' money?
  5. The 'BlackRock exemption' has no place in the EU's due diligence directive
  6. Europeans don't see China as a rival, but weapons to Russia is a red line
  7. Cleaning workers urge Parliament: 'Europe should lead by example'
  8. Final push for EU-Mercosur deal, amid deforestation fears

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains
  2. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  3. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us