The European Union will consider a Russian oil ban, as Western sanctions put pressure on the Kremlin.
Reuters quoted an anonymous EU diplomat as saying that the bloc was considering a fifth package of sanctions against Russia. According to the source, EU member governments will consider whether to impose sanctions on Russian oil or not.
Earlier, the EU and the US applied unprecedented pressure measures on Russia to stop Moscow's military operation in Ukraine. However, observers said that these measures do not seem to have shaken the Kremlin's determination.
The EU's move comes as they are about to hold summit sessions with US President Joe Biden to discuss next measures.
EU ministers will discuss countermeasures against Russia before Mr. Biden is due to travel to Belgium on May 24 to attend the NATO summit, as well as the EU summit and the G7 summit.
In the past three weeks, four rounds of EU sanctions have targeted 685 individuals in Russia and Belarus, as well as the Russian commercial and financial system. However, the EU is still facing difficult considerations regarding whether it should sanction Russian oil, given Europe's decades-old dependence on Moscow's fuel sector.
Diplomats told Reuters that Baltic states including Lithuania were calling for an oil embargo on Russia, while Germany warned against acting too hastily because energy prices in Europe were so high. high.
Earlier, Russia warned that EU sanctions on Russian oil could cause it to close a major gas pipeline to Europe. The EU depends on Russia for 40% of the bloc's gas, with Germany being one of the countries most dependent on Russian gas and crude oil.
Every move of the EU requires the consensus of the whole bloc. France, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, could play an important role in deciding whether to sanction Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that if the situation worsens in Ukraine, there will be no "no-go zone" for sanctions aimed at forcing Russia to recalculate its moves.
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