European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said Europe could not immediately impose an embargo on Russian oil, as it would allow Moscow to sell fuel elsewhere and earn a lot of money. than to pour into military operations.
“If we immediately cut off Russian oil completely, then Russian President Vladimir Putin can take the oil that he does not sell to the European Union.EU) for sale on the world market. Rising oil prices will help Russia collect more money to spend on the military,” Von der Leyen said in an interview with MSNBC.
The EU, along with the US and several other Western countries, has imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia over the past three months in response to its military campaign in Ukraine.
Up to now, the EU has launched five packages of sanctions against Russia and is discussing a sixth package, including a ban on Russian fuel, especially oil. According to Von der Leyen, “sanctions are having a heavy impact on the Russian economy”, but a complete embargo would cause serious damage to the European economy.
“We have to find a balance between imposing sanctions on Russia and protecting our economy. This is the strongest lever we have to deal with Russia, with Putin,” Ms. Von said. der Leyen said.
The female official emphasized that reducing dependence on Russian oil and gas is one of the main goals of the EU in the long run. This will also help Europe gradually transition to green energy.
Earlier this month, Brussels introduced a new package of measures that combine both goals, called REPowerEU. This package will help diversify the supply of natural gas from Russia to other suppliers, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, while promoting energy savings and investment in energy. renewable energy such as wind, solar energy, hydroelectricity.
“Over time, what we need to do is eliminate the overall dependence on Russian fossil fuels, all three types of fuel. Then Mr. Putin will lose his best customer, and Europe will never return. He pushed us towards renewable energy,” the official said.
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