The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, an outspoken supporter of this war, is among the new personalities added to the EU blacklist along with the family of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and many soldiers suspected of war crimes in Boutcha, according to the proposal consulted by AFP.

"We are thus sending another strong signal to all those who are waging the Kremlin war: we know who you are, and you will have to account for your actions", launched Ursula von der Leyen during the presentation of the main lines of this 6th package of sanctions against MEPs in Strasbourg.

The proposal was sent overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday to the Member States called upon to validate it.

It must be approved unanimously.

Names may be removed and proposals toned down.

The objective is an entry into force for the celebration of the 72nd day of Europe on May 9.

This date is also celebrated in Russia as "Victory Day" over Nazi Germany.

The Commission advocates "a ban on all Russian oil, crude and refined, transported by sea and by pipeline", explained Ms von der Leyen.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, on January 6, 2022 at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in Moscow Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV AFP / Archives

The sanctions also hit the financial sector with the exclusion of the most important Russian bank, Sberkank, which represents 37% of the market, and two other establishments of the international financial system Swift.

"Double-edged weapon"

"It will not be easy", admitted the president of the European executive.

But "Putin must pay a high price for his brutal aggression," she said to applause.

"The desire to sanction Americans, Europeans and other countries is a double-edged sword. By trying to hurt us, they will also have to pay a high price. They are already paying it. And the cost of sanctions for citizens of Europe will grow day by day," warned Dmitry Peskov.

"We cannot guarantee in this situation that there will be no disruptions" in oil supplies in Germany, acknowledged German Energy Minister Robert Habeck.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in meeting with his Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov, May 4, 2022 in Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow Mikhail Klimentyev Sputnik / AFP

The EU has already decided to stop its coal purchases and found other suppliers in the United States for a third of its Russian gas purchases.

The halt in oil imports will be "gradual and orderly, so as to establish alternative supply routes and minimize the impact (of this decision) on world markets", said Ms von der Leyen. .

"The EU should give up deliveries of crude within six months and refined products by the end of the year," she said.

Several countries are "highly dependent", she acknowledged.

A derogation is proposed to allow Hungary and Slovakia to continue their purchases from Russia until the end of 2023, because these two countries are landlocked and totally dependent on deliveries by the Druzhba pipeline due to lack of connections with the rest of the world. EU, two European officials told AFP.

Hungary on Wednesday regretted the absence of a "guarantee" for its energy security.

"Each new package of sanctions against Russia is more difficult to adopt because it imposes political choices on each Member State. Unanimity is necessary and nothing is guaranteed for its adoption", underlined one of the European officials.

The Europeans pledged in March to rid themselves "gradually" and "as soon as possible" of their dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal.

In 2021, Russia supplied 30% of crude oil and 15% of petroleum products purchased by the EU.

It supplies 150 billion m3 of gas annually.

Imports of Russian natural gas into the EU Sylvie HUSSON AFP

“Diversifying energy sources, supplies and mixes takes time and requires infrastructure,” underlines Eric Maurice, director of the Schuman Foundation in Brussels.

But European purchases are financing Russia's war effort, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, European imports of gas, oil and coal have brought in 44 billion euros for the Kremlin, indicates a study by Crea, a think tank based in Finland.

The four main buyers are Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and France.

© 2022 AFP