Ukraine says EU should hike tariffs on Russian goods

Ukraine said Friday that the European Union should hike tariffs on Russian imports if it cannot ban them entirely, amid frustration in Kyiv at Moscow's continued ability to fund its invasion.

The 27-member bloc has slashed Russian imports by almost 90 percent since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but some countries still import Russian oil and gas, as well as small amounts of metal and fertiliser.

"We will raise the issue of imposing tariffs on these types of products," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky attended by AFP journalists.

The EU is able to raise some tariffs on Russia via a qualified majority, without the need for all members to agree, but imposing new sanctions requires unanimous approval from all members.

Hungary and Slovakia, which maintain close ties with the Kremlin and rely on Russian oil and gas for their energy needs, have routinely blocked tougher sanctions on Russia.

Russian gas still accounts for an estimated 13 percent of EU imports in 2025, worth over 15 billion euros ($17.3 billion) annually, according to Brussels.

EU countries last week agreed to phase out their remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.

AFP