On Tuesday and Wednesday, representatives of EU countries will discuss another package of sanctions on Russia. As the Financial Times writes, they are considering imposing an embargo on Russian oil and coal. For now, however, the chances of introducing such measures are low.
French President Emmanuel Macron already said that an embargo on selected Russian raw materials remains in play on Monday. According to Macron, the European Union must tighten sanctions on Russia. In his opinion, it is impossible to remain indifferent to what happened in Bucha, where Russian soldiers committed genocide, murdering hundreds of civilians.
The images from the village near Kyiv have shocked public opinion and the leaders of many countries. "What happened in Bucha requires further sanctions. We will talk about them with our European partners, including, above all, Germany," Macron said.
Coal and oil are the subjects of the current discussion. There is no talk of gas, the raw material that still flows to western Europe, including Germany and Italy, among others.
As the Financial Times confirms, EU officials are considering a partial ban on imports from Russia, but "the most important thing is that the unity of EU countries can be preserved."
It will be difficult, however, as Hungary, Germany and Austria have refused to hear about sanctions on the energy sector. These countries' stressed that they would not support such solutions, especially when it comes to Russian gas.
However, the absence of sanctions means that Russia can continue to make money from supplying the West. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, EU countries have already paid more than €19 billion to the aggressor.
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