Speaking at the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, France, Ursula von der Leyen said that the commission proposes “a complete import ban on all Russian oil seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined.”
After adoption, the ban on crude oil would enter into force six months later, and prohibit refined oil products by the end of the year.
She admitted that the sanctions would hit hard EU member states that are strongly dependent on Russian oil, but she stressed that “we simply have to do it.”
According to von der Leyen, the sanctions will “maximize the pressure on Russia” and the delay would give a chance for the bloc to “minimize the collateral damage.”
The new sanctions would also target “hierarchy military officers and individuals who committed war crimes in Bucha and those who are responsible for the insurance siege of the city of Mariupol,” she said.
“This sends another important signal to all perpetrators of the Kremlin. We know who you are, we will hold you accountable. You're not getting away with this,” von der Leyen asserted.
The package would also extend the list of Russian banks that are excluded from the SWIFT international payment system, including Russia’s largest bank Sberbank.
