OREANDA-NEWS. The issue of a new package of sanctions on Russia, which could include a ban on Russian oil imports, threatens to split the European Union. This is reported by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing diplomatic sources.

It is noted that the risk of a split in the unity of the European Union was especially felt on April 11 during the meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers, at which the ministers studied the impact of a possible refusal to import oil and gas from the Russian Federation on each country.

The sources of the newspaper stress that the adoption of the next package of sanctions is a very difficult issue.

The authors of the article believe that the EU can choose restrictions under which the community countries most dependent on Russian energy carriers will be able to continue to buy them, while a number of states will refuse to purchase.

On April 7, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the European Union to impose an embargo on the supply of gas, oil, coal and nuclear fuel from Russia by a majority of votes.

Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on the European Union to set specific deadlines for the complete or partial waiver of EU countries from Russia's gas and oil.