All 28 EU member states must agree, otherwise it will not happen. But according to committee chairman von der Leyen, a suitable solution for all member states is being worked on.
“Let’s be clear: it won’t be easy,” said von der Leyen about the planned import ban. Europe largely relies on Russia for its oil needs, although the differences are large per Member State. But she says it is crucial to impose a total import ban in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The proposal was met with applause in the European Parliament, where she presented the plan. If passed, it will greatly weaken the Russian economy, the committee chair explained. “With this move, we are depriving the Russian economy of the opportunity to diversify and modernize. Putin wants to wipe Ukraine off the map, but it is clear that he will not succeed.”
No import ban on gas
The plan also says nothing about a possible import ban on Russian gas. The EU is still too dependent on Moscow for that. In previous rounds of sanctions, the import of Russian coal has already been restricted.
Swipe between these two images to see how much gas or oil EU member states buy from Russia each year:
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