War in Ukraine: Von der Leyen (EU), Russian oil embargo, new sanctions for Putin’s oligarchs

(Strasbourg) A new sanction package against Moscow and Putin’s oligarchs; a plan to ban Russian oil; full support to Kiev; and a plan for Ukraine’s reconstruction. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave a long and detailed speech at the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg today. The President focused in particular on the economic fallout of the war, outlining the next steps that the EU will take in response to Putin’s military attack on Ukrainian sovereignty. “Today, we are listing high-ranking military officers and other individuals who committed war crimes in Bucha and who are responsible for the inhuman siege of the city of Mariupol”, von der Leyen said. “This sends another important signal to all perpetrators of the Kremlin’s war. We know who you are, and you will be held accountable”, she went on to say in a threatening tone. As regards the energy issue: “We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimises the impact on global markets”. The goal is to eliminate crude oil imports within six to eight months. “It will not be easy”, von der Leyen admitted, because “some Member States are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it”.
Valentina Bombelli