Zelenskyy: Russian oil ban key step to peace

PTI, Apr 16, 2022, 8:53 AM IST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that existing sanctions on Russia are “painful” but not yet enough to stop the Russian military.

Zelenskyy called for “the democratic world” to ban Russian oil. While US lawmakers and US President Joe Biden have enacted such a ban, Europe relies more heavily on Russian energy supplies, and the US has been working to keep India from stepping up its use of Russian energy.

“In general, the democratic world must accept that Russia’s money for energy resources is in fact money for the destruction of democracy,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to his nation. He also said: ”The sooner the democratic world recognizes that the oil embargo against Russia and the complete blockade of its banking sector are necessary steps towards peace, the sooner the war will end.”