The European Union must impose an embargo on Russian oil as soon as possible, the chairs of three German parliamentary committees said on Tuesday after a visit to Ukraine.
The chairman of Germany’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Michael Roth, said cutting Russian oil would be a very important signal because it would affect Russia’s main source of income.
With Ukraine’s civilian deaths soaring amid Russia’s invasion, Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is under pressure to get rid of Russian gas and oil as critics say the proceeds provide Moscow with funds. vital to fighting the war.
The EU is working on proposals for an oil embargo on Russia, although there is no agreement among member states on a ban on Russian oil. EU diplomats say Germany is not actively supporting an immediate embargo on Russian oil.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany could end imports of Russian oil by the end of the year. The country has already reduced its energy imports, with Russian oil now accounting for 25% of imports, down from 35% before the February 24 invasion.
Roth said a quick EU decision could be combined with a transitional phase such as a ban on Russian coal imports, which will take effect from mid-August after EU ambassadors agreed last week.
Roth’s comments came after he visited western Ukraine on Tuesday with two heads of parliamentary committees from the ruling coalition parties.
“This can be done within a few weeks because there are other suppliers,” said Anton Hofreiter, head of the Bundestag’s Europe Committee, adding that the phase-out period to implement the Russian coal ban was too long.
However, a survey published on Wednesday showed that Germans were worried about the negative consequences of a possible oil embargo.
Only 30% of respondents to the Allensbach poll on behalf of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said that Germany should immediately stop imports of Russian oil and gas to stop indirectly funding Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Some 57% of respondents said Germany should continue imports to avoid supply shortages and price spikes. Only 24% agreed with the statement “We can freeze for freedom”.
Source: CNN Brasil
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