EU lawmakers call for full embargo on Russian energy imports

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - EU lawmakers on Thursday called for a “full embargo” on Russian imports of Russian oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and gas.

In a resolution adopted with 513 votes to 22 and 19 abstentions, the European Parliament expressed “indignation over reported atrocities by the Russian armed forces,” and demanded that perpetrators of "war crimes" be held accountable.

The EU lawmakers called for implementing the already adopted sanctions and to impose “an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas.”

They also called for an EU strategy to guarantee security and supply energy to the bloc until Russia “takes steps towards restoring Ukraine’s” territorial integrity and completely removes its troops from the country.

In addition, the European Parliament also demanded that all Russian banks be excluded from the SWIFT system, and a complete ban on the entry of Russian ships and trucks into the bloc’s territory.

The resolution also called on EU leaders to exclude Russia from the G20 intergovernmental forum, as well as international organizations, such as the UN refugee agency, World Trade Organization, and Interpol.

The move “would be an important sign that the international community will not return to business as usual with the aggressor state,” the EU lawmakers argued.

The EU lawmakers also pointed out that the shocking atrocities in Bucha and the destruction of Mariupol “undeniably amount to war crimes,” and requested a special UN tribunal to be set up to investigate "war crimes" committed in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow are facing vehement criticism from the international community after Ukraine accused Russian forces of committing “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha.

Russia has rejected the allegations as a “fake news attack,” arguing that the images that have drawn global outrage were staged after Russian forces withdrew from the city.

EU ambassadors are expected to adopt later on Thursday the EU’s fifth sanctions package that includes, according to the proposal, new financial sanctions, a ban on coal import, and prohibits Russian trucks and ships from entering the bloc’s territory.

The EU has allocated €1 billion ($1.09 billion) in military support, €500 million ($544 million) in humanitarian aid to Ukrainians, and adopted four packages of sanctions since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24.

The measures target 785 individuals and 14 entities in total, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, oligarchs, and military officers.

The sanctions also ban the export of luxury goods to Russia, exclude Russian and Belarusian banks from the SWIFT international banking system, and prohibit the broadcasting of Sputnik and RT media outlets.