The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has asked European leaders on Monday to stop all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Russia to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his nation.
President Zelenskyy stated in an address that, “Please do not sponsor the weapons of war of this country, of Russia. No euros for the occupiers. Close all of your ports to them. Don’t export them your goods. Deny energy resources. Push for Russia to leave Ukraine.”
While addressing Germany directly, he said, “You have the power. Europe has the power.”
His call comes as several countries in the European Union, including the Baltic states, have called for an embargo on Russian oil and gas imports.
Whereas Germany has opposed an outright halt on Russian energy imports. EU foreign ministers are meeting Monday to hold talks on Ukraine and a possible tightening of sanctions.
Earlier Monday, the Kremlin has alerted against a European oil embargo, stating that the move could “hit everyone.”
As per spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “Such an embargo would have very serious consequences on the world energy market. It will have a very serious severe impact on Europe’s energy balance.”
At the same time, the United States has announced a complete ban on Russian oil and gas, while Britain has said it will cut out Russian oil imports by the end of this year.