The European Union is considering imposing a ban on Russian coal and is currently working on oil sanctions.

• The challenge for the European Union in imposing sanctions on the Russian energy sector is due to the high level of dependency some member states have on the country's energy supplies.
• In 2020, Russia accounted for 19.3% of the coal imported by the EU, as per data from the European statistics office.
• In the same year, the country imported 36.5% of its oil and 41.1% of its natural gas.

The European Commission on Tuesday suggested imposing a ban on Russian coal as part of a fresh round of sanctions against the Kremlin for its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, announced on Tuesday that an import ban on coal from Russia, worth 4 billion euros ($4.39 billion) annually, will be imposed. This move will eliminate another significant source of revenue for Russia.

The imposition of sanctions on the Russian energy sector presents a challenge for the bloc due to the high level of dependency some member states have on the country's resources.

In 2020, the EU imported 19.3% of its coal from Russia, 36.5% of its oil, and 41.1% of its natural gas. Due to evidence of possible war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, the commission has proposed adding coal to a fifth package of sanctions against Moscow.

The perpetrators of these heinous crimes will not go unpunished, and these atrocities will not be left unanswered, as von der Leyen stated.

Clearly, due to the occurrence of events, we must intensify our efforts.

European ambassadors will discuss the new set of measures on Wednesday, but final approval of the sanctions won't occur until after the talks.

The new set of sanctions includes a full transaction ban on four critical Russian banks, including VTB, a ban on Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from accessing EU ports, and targeted export bans worth 10 billion euros that involve quantum computers and advanced semiconductors.

Oil sanctions in the works, too

European countries are increasingly under pressure to focus on the Russian energy sector, with daily oil and gas revenue continuing to fill President Putin's war chest.

The issue of banning Russian energy imports in the EU is divisive, with some countries supporting it while others argue that it would harm their economies more than Russia's.

Emmanuel Macron, France's president, stated on Monday that the EU should impose sanctions on Russian oil in response to reports of atrocities near Kyiv.

"We are considering imposing additional sanctions, such as targeting oil imports, and reflecting on the proposals put forth by member states, including taxes or specific payment channels like an escrow account," said von der Leyen on Tuesday.

If the war in Ukraine escalates further, these measures would only be triggered at a later stage.

Annalena Baerbock, Germany's foreign affairs minister, announced on Tuesday that the EU plans to stop buying Russian fossil fuels entirely, beginning with coal purchases.

The European Union must completely phase out fossil energy dependence on Russia, starting with coal, then oil, and then gas, as a response to the war crimes committed by Russia, according to Reuters.

The most difficult decision for the EU would be to end supplies of Russian gas, as Germany and other countries such as Hungary and Austria have been hesitant to take this step.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner stated on Monday in Luxembourg that the European Union and Germany aim to reduce their reliance on Russian energy imports in the near future, and Germany will support additional sanctions on Russia to achieve this goal.

Putin and Russia must be pressured further, and economic ties must be severed completely, but currently, gas supplies cannot be cut off.