KYIV, Ukraine — In its biggest step yet to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels, the European Union proposed a plan Wednesday to phase in an embargo on Russian oil to sever a major source of revenue for the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
The proposal came after a night in which Russian forces hammered the eastern part of the country and also struck the west in a possible attempt to disrupt Western aid — including weapons — trickling into Ukraine, which Moscow says is a legitimate target. Efforts are also still underway to rescue civilians from the devastated city of Mariupol in the south.
Any move by the EU to halt Russian oil imports would take months to complete as the 27-nation bloc tries to secure alternative supplies of energy. Also, the ban could have holes in the form of exemptions for member states Slovakia and Hungary, which say they are too reliant on Russian oil to support a boycott.
