A senior White House adviser said he is confident Europe is determined to close off or further restrict remaining Russian oil and gas exports as Moscow’s war in Ukraine drags on.

“I have confidence that Europe is getting the message and they are determined to close off this last source of export revenue,” Daleep Singh, deputy White House national security adviser, said in an interview with CNN.

Oil exports are the Kremlin’s main source of foreign currency and many within the European Union have called for an end to oil payments because they effectively finance Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Gas is also another major source of revenue for Russia, but its ban has not yet been properly discussed at the EU level because of the bloc’s reliance on it.

Singh, the White House’s point person for sanctions on Russia, said discussions on the topic are ongoing.

“It’s important that they do this as soon as they can. And to do it in a way that’s smart,” he said.

Measures to restrict Russian energy going into Europe need to be designed to hit Russian President Vladimir Putin’s revenues, so that they can’t be used to fund his war machine, Singh said.

“And they have to be designed in a way that doesn’t impose most of the costs on Europe, and all the rest of the world. So that’s the conversation that’s taking place right now.”
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Paul Simao)