The E.U. unveils a plan to ban Russian oil imports.

E.U. countries should ban Russian oil imports in the next six months, and all refined oil products by the end of the year, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, told the European Parliament on Wednesday as she unveiled the bloc’s new package of measures against Russia.

The crude ban and other measures are expected to be adopted by the end of the week.

“Let us be clear, it will not be easy,” Ms. von der Leyen said. “Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it.”

Her announcement was greeted with applause by the members of Parliament, reflecting the broad consensus that the measure, while potentially economically painful for Europeans, has been long anticipated as necessary.

“We are depriving the Russian economy from its ability to diversify and modernize,” Ms. von der Leyen said. “Putin wanted to wipe Ukraine from the map. He will clearly not succeed.” Read more

@nytimes