It is “more necessary than ever” for the European Union to stop importing oil from Russia, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on EUROPE 1 radio on Tuesday 19 April, after Ukraine announced the start of a major Russian offensive in the Donbass.
“Stopping the import of oil from Russia hurts the financing of the war in Ukraine”, he said.
While EU Member States agreed on Thursday 7 April to ban the import of any kind of Russian coal or coal exported from Russia (a measure that will only take effect next August - see EUROPE 12929/1), they remain divided on the issue of an embargo on Russian oil.
Within hours of Le Maire’s statement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary would not support any sanctions against Russian oil and gas, according to the Reuters news agency.
For its part, the European Commission has assured that it is working on possible measures concerning oil as part of the sixth package of sanctions currently being prepared. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)