EU proposes fresh wave of sanctions against Russia

The European Union (EU) has proposed a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia over the military conflict in Ukraine, amid divisions among the bloc’s leaders on whether to restrict Russia's energy imports into the continent.

The European Commission proposed the new measures on Tuesday, including a ban on coal imports and blocking Russian ships from entering European ports.

The new package, which needs to be approved unanimously by the bloc’s 27 member states, is likely to restrict the leasing of airplanes and the import and export of products like jet fuel, steel products and luxury goods as well.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video address that additional sanctions, including on oil imports, were being worked out.

“The four packages of sanctions have hit hard and limited the Kremlin’s political and economic options. In view of events we need to increase our pressure further,” she said.

European leaders, however, remain divided over whether to extend those sanctions to energy imports, as they have been under pressure to hit Russia in the crucial energy sector. Countries deeply dependent on Russia for energy — such as Germany, Austria, and Italy — have so far resisted expanding the measures to gas or oil.

Western countries have slapped unprecedented sanctions on Russia since President Vladimir Putin declared a military offensive against Ukraine on February 24.

The new measures were proposed after Ukrainian troops began showing journalists corpses of what they say are civilians killed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and other towns near Kiev.

Von der Leyen accused Moscow of “waging a cruel, ruthless war, also against Ukraine's civilian population,” saying that the bloc needed “to sustain utmost pressure at this critical point.”

“We all saw the gruesome pictures from Bucha and other areas from which Russian troops have recently left. These atrocities cannot and will not be left unanswered,” she added.

Bucha crimes 'monstrous forgery:' Russia

Russia on Tuesday denied any civilian killings, saying that the images were fakes produced by Ukrainian forces or that the deaths occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out of the areas.

"It is a simply a well-directed but tragic show," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "It is a forgery aimed at denigrating the Russian army.  And it will not work."

Lavrov: Ukraine’s Bucha allegations ‘fake attack’ to undermine Russia

The foreign minister of Russia says Ukraine’s allegations on the Bucha incident only seek to undermine Moscow.

He also said that the Kremlin urged "the international community: detach yourself from such emotional perceptions and think with your head. Compare the facts and understand what a monstrous forgery we are dealing with."

The West accuses Russia of war crimes in Bucha.

Peskov said that Washington was also likely to impose further sanctions on Russia as US President Joe Biden accused Putin of war crimes on Monday. Biden said that Putin should be tried for war crimes.

Peskov described the remarks as unacceptable and unworthy of a leader of the United States.

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