The European Commission said Wednesday that it was working on potentially imposing tariffs on imports of Russian oil into the bloc, in the face of pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Trump has demanded that Europe end energy imports from Moscow before agreeing to move ahead with punishing sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
The EU has already cut around 90 percent of its oil imports from Russia since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, and has announced a plan to phase out the remaining purchases by the end of 2027.
EU countries Hungary and Slovakia — both allies of Trump — still import Russian oil via pipeline, and are opposed to any moves to turn off the taps faster.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told Trump at a meeting at the United Nations on Tuesday that Brussels wanted “to put tariffs on oil supplies that are still coming to the European Union”.
“We will, in due course, present what we have in mind on this,” EU spokesman Olof Gill said Wednesday.
Any push to impose tariffs on the remaining imports of Russian oil imports into the EU would only require support from a qualified majority on member states.
That would mean Hungary and Slovakia would likely not be able to block any initiative.
