European Union foreign ministers met on Monday to analyze the new sanctions they will take against Russia’s energy sector in response to the war against Ukraine.
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, Joseph Borrellmarked this Monday as a goal a Russian oil embargo as the next sanction in retaliation for the war in Ukraine, which is entering a new phase with the escalation of the conflict in Donbas.
“It is important to start with oil, which represents a high bill and is easily replaced,” he said at a press conference from Luxembourg, after the meeting of foreign ministers that served to kick-start this debate.
As Borrell has pointed out, last year the EU paid four times more for the supply of crude oil than for gas, about 80,000 million compared to 20,000 million, which is why oil has been identified as the next target in the spiral of EU sanctions. once the European Commission is already working on another set of restrictions after the first sanctions against the energy sector, against coal, last week.
“Currently we have not yet arrived at a binding collective methodbut everyone does it in their own way and they have plans to end this dependency,” the High Representative explained, emphasizing the commitment of the European partners to take steps in this direction.
In any case, the head of European diplomacy has avoided setting deadlines or urging member states to take action, noting that the war in Ukraine will take place in the coming weeks “with or without sanctions”.
“Sanctions have a long-term effect”, he has argued. “If you turn off the Russian gas tap, it will not have an immediate effect. What counts now is the help we offer Ukraine,” argued the Spanish politician.
Source: EITB
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