Lithuania, Ireland push EU to step up sanctions on Russian oil

The foreign ministers of Lithuania and Ireland on Monday pushed the European Union to deepen its sanctions on Russia’s oil supply.

The EU has already placed sanctions on Russia, including freezing the assets of its central bank, but it has not yet targeted Russia’s energy sector, Reuters reported.

“Looking at the extent of the destruction in Ukraine right now, it’s very hard to make the case that we shouldn’t be moving in on the energy sector, particularly oil and coal,” said Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney at the beginning of EU talks in Brussels, Belgium, this week.

The EU receives 40 percent of its gas supply from Russia, but some EU nations still believe sanctions must be imposed as a consequence of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, with the siege of Mariupol ratcheting up the pressure.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the strikes on the Ukrainian city “a massive war crime,” clarifying the bloc’s opposition to aggressive moves by Russia.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said it was “unavoidable” that the EU discusses targeting Russia’s energy sector.

“And we can definitely talk about oil because it is the biggest revenue to Russia’s budget,” Landsbergis added.

Countries such as Germany and Italy, which are more dependent on Russian gas than Baltic states like Lithuania, are taking a more cautious approach to sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, especially as Russian leadership has threatened to close a gas pipeline to Europe in response to these controversial moves.

Western countries including the U.S. and U.K. have already sanctioned Russian oil.