Ursula von der Leyen says Putin must pay ‘high price’ as she proposes oil ban

theguardian.com:

Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a total ban on Russian oil imports to the EU,, saying Vladimir Putin had to pay a “high price for his brutal aggression” in Ukraine.

Member states in Brussels are scrutinising a proposed sixth package of sanctions, but in a speech on Wednesday the European Commission president said Russian oil flows had to stop.

Von der Leyen said Russian supply of crude oil would be prohibited within six months and refined products would be banned by the end of the year, while she acknowledged the demands from countries such as Slovakia and Hungary for additional flexibility.

“Let us be clear: it will not be easy,” Von der Leyen said in a speech to the European parliament. “Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it. We now propose a ban on Russian oil. This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined.

“We will make sure that we phase out Russian oil in an orderly fashion, in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimises the impact on global markets.”

Russian imports account for 25% of oil imports to the EU and are a major source of revenue for the Kremlin but the level of dependency varies and Slovakian and Hungarian ministers have already said they will seek exemptions from the proposals.

The sanctions package will require unanimous support from the EU member states whose representatives in Brussels have already started to pore over the details with the hope of coming to an agreement by the end of the week.

As Von der Leyen sought to rally the EU to take the next step, she littered her speech with the names of Ukrainian cities and towns that had been subject to brutal