BRUSSELS — In the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine, the European Union agreed to ban the overwhelming majority of Russian oil imports after tense negotiations that exposed the cracks in the bloc's united .
People are also reading… The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council said Tuesday that energy sanctions against the country were intended to hurt ordinary Russians by making it harder for Moscow to fund social programs. GasTerra said the move comes after it refused Gazprom’s “one-sided payment requirements.” That's a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that European nations pay for gas in rubles — an arrangement others have also refused. GasTerra said homes would not be hit as it had bought gas elsewhere in anticipation of a shutoff.
— A court in Ukraine convicted two Russian soldiers on Tuesday of war crimes for the shelling of civilian buildings. It sentenced both to 11 1/2 years in prison, concluding the country’s second war crime trial held since the Russian invasion. The sanctions package must still be finalized in coming days — and the leaders said the exemption for crude delivered by pipeline will be reviewed “as soon as possible," though they did not specify when.
Close 1 of 15 Russia Ukraine War Oil Explainer FILE - Sept. 10, 2011 file photo photo showing an oil rig near the town of Usinsk, 1500 kilometers northeast of Moscow. The European Union's executive commission has proposed phasing out imports of Russian oil within six months. It is part of Europe's struggle to stop paying Russia $850 million a day for energy and hit the Kremlin's finances over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine War Europe French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for the an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy and food security in Brussels, Monday, May 30, 2022. European Union leaders will gather Monday in a fresh show of solidarity with Ukraine but divisions over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions are exposing the limits of how far the bloc can go to help the war-torn country.
Russia Ukraine War Europe European Council President Charles Michel speaks to media prior to the extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy and food security at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 30, 2022. European Union leaders will gather Monday in a fresh show of solidarity with Ukraine but divisions over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions are exposing the limits of how far the bloc can go to help the war-torn country.