A coal mine in Neryungri, Russia.
Pavel Usachenko / Eyeem | Eyeem | beautiful pictures
Luxembourg – The European Commission will propose that Russian coal be part of a new round of sanctions against the Kremlin for its unprovoked aggression into Ukraine.
Two EU officials, who did not wish to be named due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, told CNBC on Tuesday that the Commission would propose a ban on coal imports from Russia.
Imposing sanctions on Russia’s energy sector is a challenge for the EU given the high degree of dependence of some countries on Moscow.
However, mounting evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine pushed the EU executive to add coal to a fifth package of sanctions against Moscow.
For example, French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said the bloc should proceed with sanctions on Russian oil and coal following these reports.
The new measures will be discussed by European ambassadors on Wednesday. Final ratification of the sanctions won’t take place until negotiations are over, and proposals are still subject to change before the ambassadors meet.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.
