EU agrees to ban the export of Russian oil
31st May 2022
Leaders of the 27 EU member states met for a two-day summit in Brussels on Monday with the aim of sealing an agreement on finally imposing an embargo on Russian oil likely to top the agenda.
European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter the arrangement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia, "cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has repeatedly called on the EU to halt all fossil fuel imports from Russia, addressed the summit by video link.
"All quarrels in Europe must end, internal disputes that only encourage Russia to put more and more pressure on you," Zelenskyy said.
"It is time for you to be not separate, not fragments, but one whole," he said, calling for new sanctions and an oil embargo.
Hungary is leading the members in opposition, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, who say they cannot halt imports.
