The EU has announced its plan to stop Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of a sixth round of sanctions against the Kremlin over its war in Ukraine.
“We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimises the impact on global markets,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
Speaking from Strasbourg, she conceded it “will not be easy” to implement the proposal, as all 27 member states, including those who are heavily dependent on Russian energy, will have to agree to it.
Ms von der Leyen also announced plans to remove Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, from the Swift international payment system and to ban three Russian-state broadcasters from operating in the EU.
Meanwhile, the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol continues, with a convoy of buses leaving on Wednesday in the direction of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia.
