Charles Michel has said sanctions against oil and gas “will be necessary sooner or later”. On the other hand, Washington has announced a “total blockade” of Sberbank and Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest financial institutions, which will not be able to transact with the US in any currencies.
The European Union set itself this Tuesday the goal of continuing to apply sanctions against the energy sector and proposed measures against Russian oil following a proposal for a coal embargoin response to the massacre of civilians in Bucha and other towns outside Kiev.
In a discussion on the plenary session of the European Parliament addressed to the last meeting of the European Council, the President of the said institution, Charles Michaelhas stressed that, following proposed measures to cut off coal supplies, sanctions on oil and gas “will be needed sooner or later” to break Russia’s dependence on fossil fuels.
We are tightening our sanctions to keep maximum pressure on the Kremlin.
The new package includes a ban on coal imports.
And I think that sooner or later measures will also be needed for oil and even gas. pic.twitter.com/bhc9NGu4as
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) Apr 6, 2022
“This war opens our eyes to the need to promote sovereignty,” stressed the former Belgian prime minister, who emphasized that European leaders have committed themselves to strengthening food and energy sovereignty.
Borrell: “Coal is a very small part of the bill”
In his speech, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Joseph Borrelldefended the European response to the Russian invasion and ensured that it means putting plans to reduce energy dependence into practice.
“Today we end up with the coal, but it’s a very small part of the bill,” Borrell told MEPs, suggesting more action against Russia’s energy sector will be needed.
US sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s daughters
The US, for its part, has imposed sanctions on the two daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Katerina Tijonova and Maria Vorontsova – whom the EU also wants to include in a new package of sanctions – as well as on the wife and daughter of the Russian foreign minister. Sergey Lavrov.
In addition, a senior official of Joe Biden’s administration, speaking to journalists, has announced the “total blockade” of Sberbank and Alfa Bank, the largest financial institutions in the country, which will have no way of transacting with the US. currency.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
