German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed back against calls from the U.S. and Ukraine for a ban on imports of Russian gas and oil as part of international sanctions on Moscow.

“Europe has deliberately exempted energy supplies from Russia from sanctions,” Scholz said in a statement, adding: “At the moment, Europe’s supply of energy for heat generation, mobility, power supply, and industry cannot be secured in any other way. It is therefore of essential importance for the provision of public services and the daily lives of our citizens.”

The Ukrainian government, with the banking of a number of U.S. and European politicians, has argued that the West must end imports of Russian energy in order to stop helping to finance Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war chest.

also read

Oil could exceed $300, warns Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak