European Union foreign ministers on Monday discussed the bloc’s efforts to squeeze Russia’s economy with sanctions, including the possibility of more energy sanctions, but no decisions were made.
“Nothing is off the table, including sanctions on oil and gas,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after the Luxembourg meeting. “But today no decision was made.”
The EU last Friday passed a fifth package of sanctions against Russia that included the first significant import ban on Russian energy — coal. However, the bloc remains deeply divided over whether to go ahead with further energy import bans, starting with oil.
A senior EU official briefed on Monday’s discussions said there had been little detailed discussion of the options on Monday and no progress on narrowing the divide within the bloc. A group of countries, led by Germany, are opposed to an oil import shutdown anytime soon. Others, led by Poland, are urging the bloc to stop buying Russian energy.
Mr Borrell pointed to the “asymmetric shock” further energy sanctions would have on some countries within the bloc that are heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas. “It must be handled with unity and solidarity,” he said.
EU officials say it could be a few more weeks before the European Commission comes up with a proposal for a new round of sanctions, although the timing will ultimately depend on events in Ukraine.
Foreign ministers met with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, in Luxembourg on Monday morning to discuss efforts to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine.
Several member states, including Sweden’s foreign minister, said on Monday they were willing to fund the ICC’s work. In addition, Mr Borrell said the EU assistance mission to Ukraine is helping authorities gather evidence of war crimes. The EU reopened its mission in Kyiv last weekend.
A French special police team with forensic expertise has already arrived in Ukraine to help investigate war crimes.