Russian military forces have narrowed their targets to the south of Ukraine as the Russian invasion of the country enters its seventh week. With forces drawing away from the capital city Kyiv the toll of the fighting around the capital has become clearer, with horrific photos showing bodies lining the streets of suburbs and eliciting global condemnation.
The imagery has prompted some leaders in Europe to demand that a total ban is instated on Russian gas imports.
The European Union has already imposed stiff penalties against Moscow. These sanctions have worked to cripple Russia’s economy, and prove there are economic consequences for invading Ukraine.
New outrage over war crimes has led to countries in the West to discuss further sanctions. It is reported that the EU may meet again on Wednesday to discuss further sanctions once again.
The EU nations may now become sharply divided over taking another step in more and more sanctions. The bloc is dependent on Russian energy, and some countries are not sure what step they will take next.
Germany’s finance minister, Christian Lindler, said that countries as a part of the EU need to differentiate between their imports from Russia when considering sanctions, referring to differentiating between coal, gas, and oil.
Lindler arrived at an EU finance ministerial meeting today in Luxembourg, at which he said that cutting off Germany from Russian gas was not an option right now, and instead emphasized energy sanctions against Russia on coal and oil.
Growing evidence of atrocities against civilians is paving the way for sanctions by the EU.
Private companies are also discussing sanctions and their aftermath. Chief Executive of JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon said in his annual letter to shareholders that complying with sanctions was an “enormous undertaking,” and warned that the bank could lose $1 billion over time due to the Russian war.
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