Draghi announced EU plans to introduce a price ceiling for Russian energy resources

The proposal to set a ceiling on Russian gas prices is a way to increase sanctions pressure on Moscow and will be discussed at the next meeting of the EU leadership, where it is gaining more support. This was stated by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

“The Italian proposal to cap the price of Russian gas is gaining support and will be discussed at the next EU Council on the basis of a common document prepared by the commission. Europe buys more than half of the gas exported by RUSSIA. The market power of the European Union over Moscow is a weapon that can be used. The gas price ceiling cuts down on the funding we give Russia every day,” Draghi said.

According to him, the current situation, when the price of Russian gas is formed contrary to pricing and production costs, allows Russia to continue to finance. According to the Italian prime minister, the introduction of a cap on the upper price of Russian gas is a way to "strengthen sanctions and at the same time minimize the costs of their introduction."

Earlier, the HEAD of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the EU is preparing a sixth package of sanctions against Russia for a military special operation in Ukraine. According to her, the European Commission is now "in the process of developing" smart "mechanisms" through which the next package of sanctions will affect Russian oil . Earlier, the inevitability of these measures was announced by the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, according to whom, restrictions on oil and gas from Russia "sooner or later will be required."

According to The New York Times, the European Union will begin to put forward specific proposals for an embargo on Russian oil after the end of the presidential elections in France (the second round of voting will take place on April 24). According to the sources of the newspaper, the leaders of the EU member states want to be sure that the increase in fuel prices in the country (in the event of an earlier embargo) will not play into the hands of the presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and will not prevent the current head of state Emmanuel Macron from being re-elected.