BRUSSELS — European Union leaders intend to give their political backing to a ban on Russian oil, paving the way for a possible agreement next month on a sixth package of sanctions targeting Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
The bloc’s heads of government are working to enshrine their support for the plan in a joint statement, which could still change before it’s issued during their two-day summit in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.
The sanctions proposal would halt seaborne imports by early next year, while pipeline supplies would be banned only once the concerns of several landlocked countries are satisfied, according to people familiar with the talks. The leaders’ political support doesn’t mean a deal is imminent and several substantial hurdles remain to any accord.
