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WORLD NEWS Thursday 5 May 2022
EU takes major step toward Russian oil ban, new sanctions

By LORNE COOK and SAM- gion gets about 40% of its
UEL PETREQUIN natural gas from Russia.
Associated Press Hungary and Slovakia pre-
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro- viously said they wouldn’t
pean Union’s top official on take part in any oil sanc-
Wednesday called on the tions. Von der Leyen didn’t
27-nation bloc to ban oil elaborate on whether they
imports from Russia and tar- would receive an exemp-
get the country’s biggest tion from the sanctions, al-
bank and major broad- though it appeared likely.
casters in a sixth package Slovak Economy Minister
of sanctions over the war in Richard Sulik said Wednes-
Ukraine. day that Slovakia was not
European Commission against the punishing mea-
President Ursula von der sures but is asking for a tran-
Leyen, addressing the Eu- sition period of three years.
ropean Parliament in Stras- Czech Prime Minister Petr Fi-
bourg, France, proposed ala said his country is ready
having EU member nations to support the package but
phase out imports of crude also needs to be allowed
oil within six months and re- more time about two or
fined products by the end three years before it can
of the year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech during a debate on the implement a ban on Rus-
“We will make sure that social and economic consequences for the EU of the Russian war in Ukraine, Wednesday, May 4, sian oil, in order to increase
we phase out Russian oil 2022 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. the capacity of pipelines to
in an orderly fashion, in a Associated Press get oil from other sources.
way that allows us and our its oil from Russia, most of proposal for an oil embar- Union ... we cannot speak Ukraine’s Kuleba said that
partners to secure alterna- which goes toward gaso- go. He said Ukraine is not of defeating Russia,” he any country which con-
tive supply routes and mini- line and diesel for vehicles. happy it will be delayed said. “They will continue fi- tinued to oppose the em-
mizes the impact on global Russia supplies about 14% for several months, but “it’s nancing their war machine bargo on Russian oil could
markets,” von der Leyen of diesel, S&P Global ana- better than nothing.” from oil and gas revenues.” be considered “complicit
said. lysts said, and a cutoff “I think what should be In addition to sanctions on in the crimes committed
The proposals must be could send already high clear now is that (the time) various entities and individ- by Russia in the territory of
unanimously approved to prices for truck and tractor for half-sanctions or half- uals, including Russian Pres- Ukraine.”
take effect and are likely fuel soaring. measures when it comes ident Vladimir Putin and The EU and Russia are play-
to be the subject of fierce If approved, the ban on to sanctions is gone,” Kule- members of his family, the ing “a game of chicken.
debate. oil imports would be the ba said, arguing that the EU previously approved an It is hard to say who will
Von der Leyen conceded second package of EU EU can no longer support embargo on coal imports. swerve/blink first.
that getting all 27 member sanctions targeting Russia’s Ukraine on one hand by The EU has started discus- The Russians for fear of run-
countries some of them lucrative energy industry imposing sanctions, while sions on a possible natural ning out of money.
landlocked and highly de- since the country invaded continuing to pay Russia gas embargo, but consen- Or Europe for fear of the
pendent on Russia for en- Ukraine on Feb. 24. for oil and gas and support sus among member coun- lights going out,” James
ergy supplies to agree on In a video message posted their “war machine.” tries on targeting the fuel Nixey, the director of the
oil sanctions “will not be on Twitter, Ukraine’s Foreign “As long as Russia continues used to generate electric- Russia and Eurasia program
easy.” Minister Dmytro Kuleba wel- to receive revenues in bil- ity and heat homes is more at London’s Chatham
The EU gets about 25% of comed Von der Leyen’s lions ... from the European difficult to secure. The re- House think tank, said. q

Dutch king lays wreath, thousands attend remembrance event

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Dutch because of COVID-19 lock- since the outbreak of World
King Willem-Alexander laid down measures. War II.
a wreath Wednesday at Amid the memories of past It is followed Thursday by
a war memorial in Amster- conflicts, Amsterdam May- celebrations to mark the
dam during the first nation- or Femke Halsema alluded country’s liberation from
al commemoration of the to the war in Ukraine when Nazi German occupation
country’s war dead since she described in a speech at the end of the war.
coronavirus restrictions photographs of death and Earlier Wednesday, staff at
were lifted earlier this year. destruction following a a war cemetery in the east-
Thousands of people in- bombing raid on the Dutch ern city of Nijmegen dis-
cluding at least one capital during World War II. covered pro-Ukraine graf-
draped in a Ukrainian flag “They are old photos, but fiti sprayed on graves and

observed two minutes of the imagery is current,” she buildings.
silence at 8 p.m. (1800 said. Police were investigat-
GMT) on the Dutch capi- The national day of com- ing the vandalism at the Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, center arrive
tal’s Dam Square. It was memoration, at which flags Jonkerbos cemetery, which for the Remembrance Day ceremony at the national monument
a marked difference from fly at half staff from build- is home to the graves of on Dam square in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May
the last two May 4 wreath- ings throughout the coun- more than 1,600 Allied sol- 4, 2022, commemorating civilians and members of the armed
laying ceremonies in Am- try, honors military person- diers killed during World forces who have died in wars and peacekeeping missions since
sterdam, which were held nel and civilians killed in War II.q the start of the Second World War.
without public attendance conflicts around the world Associated Press