Germany’s government has decided to support an oil import on Russian oil.

The move makes an EU-wide Russian oil embargo more likely, writes news agency dpa citing sources in Brussels.

The EU has already imposed a ban on coal imports ex-Russia.

However, oil and gas supplies are more difficult to replace, as a result of which discussions on further sanctions are ongoing.

Now Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, Italy and Greece are perceived as making up the opposition against imposing an oil embargo on Russia, say dpa’s sources.

Among the northern-most member nations in the EU, there is apparent concerns over their considerable dependence on Russian oil supplies. In southern member nations, there is more focus on rising energy prices.

The backdrop for the German pivot is believed to be nation’s recent success in finding alternative oil suppliers.

Earlier last week, German Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck said Germany has reduced dependence on Russian oil from 35 percent prior to the invasion of Ukraine to 12 percent in a matter of eight weeks.

In the weekend, French daily La Parisien wrote in an editorial that the Russian regime under President Vladimir Putin has profited heavily from rising prices on a number of commodities and fossil fuels since the Covid-19 pandemic and that these profits are used to pay for the war in Ukraine.

”An absurd situation. It shows that a total embargo in the 27 EU nations is necessary for coal, oil and, above all, Russian gas if Moscow’s position is to be weakened,” the French daily writes.

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