EU Commissioner calls on member states to phase out Russian oil

In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg this morning, Ursula Von der Leyen called on European Union (EU) member states to phase out crude oil imports within six months and imports of petroleum products from Russia by the end of the year. But the proposals, which must be unanimously approved, are likely to require intense negotiations. Von der Leyen herself admitted that persuading all 27 member states, some of which are highly dependent on Russian energy supplies, to agree to oil sanctions "will not be easy". With Hungary and Slovakia already saying they will not participate in the oil-focused sanctions, Von der Leyen has yet to comment on whether they will get an exemption, although it seems likely they will. Politico news outlet writes that the Commission had already signaled to EU countries that there would be some form of transitional measures for Hungary and Slovakia, given their dependence on Russian energy.