EU foreign ministers consider new sanctions on Russia, some push for oil embargo

Baltic countries including Lithuania are pushing for an embargo as the next logical step

The European Union should step up sanctions on Russia to target its lucrative energy sector, the foreign ministers of Lithuania and Ireland said in Brussels on Monday.

Qazet.az reports that trying to force a Russian military withdrawal from Ukraine, the European Union and its Western allies have already imposed a panoply of sanctions including freezing the Russian central bank's assets.

The humanitarian crisis in the port city of Mariupol, where residents are besieged with little food, water and power, is increasing pressure on European leaders to toughen sanctions on Moscow.

"Looking at the extent of the destruction in Ukraine right now it's very hard to make the case that we shouldn't be moving in on the energy sector, particularly oil and coal," Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers.

Diplomats told that Baltic countries including Lithuania are pushing for an embargo as the next logical step, while Germany is warning against acting too quickly because of already high energy prices in Europe.