The European Union is proposing to ban coal imports from Russia in a direct response to reports that Russian forces committed apparent war crimes in Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.
The action on coal — which von der Leyen said would amount to 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) a year — would allow for a three-month wind-down before a ban on new contracts, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The coal provision was added to a package of steps aimed at strengthening existing measures and correcting loopholes that was already set to be debated this week by EU ambassadors. The European Commission is also proposing to ban most Russian trucks and ships from entering the bloc, von der Leyen said, with exceptions allowed for agricultural products, humanitarian aid and energy.
