The European Commission has confirmed it is working on a proposal to potentially impose tariffs on Russian oil imports, following pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump has urged Europe to halt Russian energy imports before agreeing to broader sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, the EU has already cut around 90% of its oil imports from Moscow and aims to fully end reliance on Russian energy by 2027. However, Hungary and Slovakia continue to import Russian crude via pipelines and have opposed faster timelines.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Trump on Tuesday that Brussels intends to introduce tariffs on remaining Russian oil supplies.
“At the appropriate time, we will present our concrete proposals,” said EC spokesperson Olof Gill on Wednesday.
Unlike a full embargo, the introduction of tariffs would only require a qualified majority vote among EU member states—meaning Hungary and Slovakia would likely not be able to block the initiative.
The move reflects Europe’s determination to further weaken Russia’s energy revenues while maintaining internal unity on sanctions policy.
