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EU is planning a ban on Russiancoal in response to the invasion ofUkraine . - A source told Reuters that the proposal had been changed so the ban would come into effect a month later than planned.
The
European envoys are set to vote on the plan on Thursday. The source told Reuters that the plan was changed so that the ban would take place in mid-August, a month later than planned.
The Reuters report did not give more details on the apparent pressure from Germany.
Germany is heavily reliant on Russian coal, oil, and gas. Earlier this month it was preparing to ration its natural-gas supply amid a standoff over payments to
The proposed ban on Russian coal comes as part of the EU's fifth round of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, which also proposes a reduction in how much oil the bloc imports from Russia. The plan does not mention natural gas imports from Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that an EU import ban on Russian coal would cost Russia 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) a year.
EU countries have been trying to find a way to reduce their dependence on Russian fuel, for which they pay Russia billions of dollars, that would not find themselves short of energy and severely damage their economies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized Western countries for not acting fast enough in cutting off Russian energy imports.