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world news Diaranson 6 aPriL 2022

European Union proposes Russian coal ban in new sanctions

(AP) — The European sian oil, natural gas and coal taboo,” he said, but is not “a
Union’s executive branch means finding unanimity on game changer. ... Targeting
proposed Tuesday a ban energy measures is a tall or- coal for the moment is too
on coal imports from Rus- der, but the recent reports prudent, it’s too symbolic
sia in what would be the of civilian killings have in- and the time for symbolic
first EU sanctions target- creased pressure for tougher measures is gone.”
ing the country’s lucrative EU sanctions.
energy industry over its “It’s not with coal that Putin
war in Ukraine. The U.S. and United King- can get rich or sustain the
dom previously announced funding of the war. The big
European Commission Pres- they were cutting off Russian flow of money is certainly oil
ident Ursula von der Leyen oil. Individual EU countries and gas, not coal, and that’s
said the EU needed to in- have announced efforts to the issue.”
crease the pressure on Rus- draw down their energy reli-
sian President Vladimir Putin ance on Russia: Poland says The proposal still must be
after what she described as it plans to block imports of adopted unanimously by all
“heinous crimes” carried out coal and oil from the country, 27 EU countries and is in- worth 10 billion euros, in sec- Coal use fell from 1.2 billion
around Kyiv, with evidence while Lithuania said it’s no cluded among a new package tors covering quantum com- tons a year to 427 million
that Russian troops may have longer using Russian natural of sanctions. puters, advanced semicon- tons between 1990 and 2020,
deliberately killed Ukrainian gas. ductors, sensitive machinery but imports rose from 30% to
civilians. Other measures proposed by and transportation equip- 60% of coal use.
“To take a clear stand is not the EU’s executive arm in- ment also were proposed.
Von der Leyen said the ban only crucial for us in Europe clude sanctions on more indi- The European Union im-
on coal imports is worth 4 but also for the rest of the viduals and four key Russian “With this, we will continue ported 53% of hard coal from
billion euros ($4.4 billion) world,” von der Leyen said. banks, among them VTB, the to degrade Russia’s techno- Russia in 2020, which ac-
per year and that the EU has “A clear stand against Pu- second-largest Russian bank. logical base and industrial counted for 30% of the EU’s
already started working on tin’s war of choice. A clear capacity,” von der Leyen said. hard coal consumption.
additional sanctions, includ- stand against the massacre of “These four banks, which
ing on oil imports. civilians. And a clear stand we now totally cut off from But energy was the focus. Russian coal would be easier
against the violation of the the markets, represent 23% EU trade commissioner Val- to replace than natural gas
She didn’t mention natural fundamental principles of the of market share in the Rus- dis Dombrovskis said 62% of because coal comes by ship
gas, with consensus among world order.” sian banking sector,” von der Russia’s exports to the EU and there are multiple global
the 27 EU countries on tar- Leyen said. “This will further were hydrocarbons last year. suppliers. Germany’s asso-
geting the fuel used to gener- Energy policy expert Simone weaken Russia´s financial ciation of coal importers said
ate electricity and heat homes Tagliapietra with the Bruegel system.” “If we really want to affect last month that Russian coal
difficult to secure amid op- think tank in Brussels said Russia’s economy, that’s could be replaced “in a few
position from gas-dependent coal represented 20 million The bloc also would ban where we need to look,” he months.”
members like Germany, the euros in revenue for Russia Russian vessels and Russian- said. “And that’s exactly what
bloc’s largest economy. from Europe per day at cur- operated vessels from EU is subject to discussions con- But the switch would mean
Until now, Europe had not rent prices, compared with ports, with exceptions for es- cerning this sanctions pack- more import demand from
been willing to target Rus- 850 million per day for oil sentials such as agricultural age.” Europe and higher global
sian energy over fears that it and gas. and food products, humani- coal prices, with significant
would plunge the European tarian aid and energy. Because of its climate ambi- effects on emerging and de-
economy into recession. Eu- The coal ban “is important tions, the EU has been mov- veloped economies that also
rope’s dependence on Rus- because it breaks the energy Further targeted export bans, ing away from coal for years. rely on coal.

Women watch Costa Rica’s president-elect warily

(AP) — As Costa Rica’s The heckling was a public risk, but two years ago it be- choices. ing to review the technical
future president cast his display of concerns held by came the first country to le- Montserrat Sagot, a feminist standard for abortion, the
ballot at a school in the many Costa Rican women galize same-sex marriage. and sociologist at the Uni- standard for in-vitro fertil-
capital, a young woman about the conservative econ- versity of Costa Rica, said ization,” Sagot said. “That’s
stood on the sidewalk out- omist who won Sunday’s Chaves has drawn women’s she worried about the mes- worrisome because they are
side shouting, “Harasser!” election and will take office ire because the World Bank sage sent by Chaves’ election standards that have been im-
May 8. found that he sexually ha- despite his record of harass- posed by the Inter-American
She was surrounded and rassed various women while ment. System of Human Rights
drowned out by Rodrigo In socially conservative Cen- he was employed there. Ulti- and could cause us problems
Chaves’ supporters, but stood tral America, Costa Rica has mately, he was sanctioned for She noted that polling indi- before the Inter-American
her ground, a purple hand- shown signs of more pro- misconduct, demoted and cated that Chaves’ conduct Court.”
kerchief that read, “For our gressive tendencies in recent pushed out. He has continu- toward women was not rele-
right to decide” tied around years. Abortion remains ille- ally denied the allegations vant for 45% of people when Mayra Bonilla, a 33-year-old
her neck. Chaves ignored her gal except in cases where the and misstated the actions tak- they voted. stylist exiting a supermar-
if he noticed at all. mother’s life or health is at en against him. ket Tuesday in San Jose, said
“In the experience of other it was an “embarrassment”
That history was highlighted countries like the United having a president accused
repeatedly by his opponent, States, electing a person like of harassment. “You don’t
Jose María Figueres, during Chaves or (Donald) Trump feel safe in the street because
a bruising two months be- legitimizes sexual violence they say all kinds of vulgari-
tween the first round of vot- against women,” Sagot said. ties to you,” Bonilla said. “We
ing and Sunday’s runoff. can’t walk alone and now the
Sagot also expressed concern harassers see that they can
Figueres, however, was seen that Chaves’ government be president. This election
as the face of a disliked po- could threaten progress made made me really sad.”
litical establishment and was on women’s rights.
fighting allegations of cor- Chaves would not be the first
ruption, leaving Costa Ri- “It’s very concerning that Costa Rican president to face
cans with two unappetizing Chaves has said that he’s go- such allegations.