Europe faces pressure to join US, British ban on Russian oil

By RAF CASERT, KELVIN CHAN and DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe faces a rough choice: is it worth a recession to choke off oil and gas money to Russia while it fights a war in Ukraine? While the U.S. and British bans on Russian oil increase the pressure on Europe, the continent’s dependence on Russia for energy makes an immediate embargo much more difficult. Still, some officials say it is the only way to stop pouring billions into President Vladimir Putin’s coffers. But it would come at a cost: Europe gets around 40% of its natural gas and 25% of its oil from Russia, whereas the U.S. gets meager amounts of oil and no natural gas.