EU Proposes Ban On Russian Coal Imports In Fresh Round Of Sanctions
The proposal, which is part of the EU's proposed fifth wave of sanctions since the February 24 invasion, must be unanimously agreed by the EU's 27 member states.
New Delhi: The EU executive recommended additional sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, including a ban on coal imports and a ban on Russian ships accessing European ports.
In a video address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "Russia is waging a cruel, ruthless war, also against Ukraine's civilian population. We need to sustain utmost pressure at this critical point," news agency AFP reported.
The proposal, which is part of the EU's proposed fifth wave of sanctions since the February 24 invasion, must be unanimously agreed by the EU's 27 member states.
Apart from the coal imports ban, sanctions include a ban on Russian operated vessels from accessing EU ports, the news agency AP reported.
Earlier, an EU source told AFP that a new round of penalties on Russia will be debated this week. The EU foreign ministers might then review it, either on the margins of a NATO meeting scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday or at their normal meeting early next week.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a statement said that the union "strongly condemns" the atrocities alleged in Ukrainian towns taken by Russian forces, notably Bucha, where victims were discovered with their hands bound.
"The massacres in the town of Bucha and other Ukrainian towns will be inscribed in the list of atrocities committed on European soil," Borrell said.
The statement emphasised the EU's aid to Ukrainian prosecutors "focused on collecting and preserving evidence of war crimes," as well as its support for investigations begun by the International Criminal Court and the UN's human rights commissioner.
(With Agencies Inputs)
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