In a resolution adopted this Thursday, the European Parliament (7) demanded that Russia impose a “total and immediate” embargo on imports of “oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas”.

The resolution was adopted by 513 deputies (22 against, 19 abstentions).

The head of the institution, Roberta Metsola, said after the vote on this decision was not binding, “This is a very important moment and an important step. The parliament’s position is clear and it sends the strongest messages of support to those at the front.”

The European Commission on Tuesday proposed to 27 member states to increase sanctions by suspending purchases of Russian coal, which accounts for 45% of total EU coal imports, and by closing European ports to Russian ships in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The methods of this 5th group of sanctions are currently being discussed among the representatives of the member states of the European bloc.

Now, Parliament demands to go further, but a possible embargo on Russian oil (25% of Europe’s total oil imports) and Russian gas (45% of the total) is the subject of heated debate among member states, and Berlin is reluctant.

The issue will be discussed at a meeting of European foreign ministers on Monday.

With this resolution, lawmakers also called for “intensification of arms deliveries to Ukraine”, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kouleba requested during his visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels this Thursday.

So far, 27 countries have agreed on a billion-euro package to supply arms to Kiev. “It may seem like a lot, but we pay Putin a billion euros a day for the energy he gives us,” said Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy, on Wednesday.

Parliament also urged the EU to cut off Russian banks’ access to the Swift international financial system (currently 7 organizations are denied access) and to ban the transport of goods to Russia by road and sea.

He also demanded that “all necessary measures” be taken so that “the actions of Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko are prosecuted as war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

Lawmakers also spoke in favor of creating a “Marshall Plan-like fund” to rebuild Ukraine after the war.