The European Union will discuss the embargo on Russian oil

The European Union should impose sanctions against the Russian energy sector, Foreign Ministers of Ireland and Lithuania Simon Coveney and Gabrielius Landsbergis said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, reports . Reuters

“Looking at the scale of destruction in Ukraine now, it is very difficult to decide that we will not interfere in the [Russian] energy sector, especially oil and coal,” Coveney said. Landsbergis noted that the EU is inevitably starting to talk about sanctions against the energy sector, especially oil, since this is "the largest source of income in the Russian budget."

The fact that the EU is considering sanctions that imply a ban on energy imports was also announced by Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar. “We will strengthen the sanctions, we will close the ports. We will also go for a ban on energy imports,” he said ( quoted by RIA Novosti).

However, according to Reuters, energy sanctions are a difficult choice for the EU, which is 40% dependent on Russian gas. The Baltic states are insisting that the embargo is "the next logical step" while German authorities are "warning against acting too hastily" because of rising prices, unnamed diplomats told the publication.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said "the photos reaching us from Ukraine are heartbreaking" and that the Russian regime should be "isolated". But she refused to answer the question of what could provoke sanctions against the Russian energy sector. According to diplomats, the trigger for the energy embargo could be a Russian "chemical attack" or "heavy bombing of Kyiv."

The fifth package of European sanctions will also include personal restrictive measures.

• On March 8, US President Joe Biden introduced a ban on Russian energy imports. The UK has announced that it will stop importing by the end of 2022.
• The Bell continues to talk online about the consequences of the "military operation" in Ukraine.