European Union backs new Russia sanctions including on coal imports

The deal was given the final political go-ahead in a meeting of EU ambassadors and will be enacted once published in the EU’s official journal, likely on Friday

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Jean-Francois Badias/AP)

European Union countries on have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv.

The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine and is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros (£3.3 billion) per year, the EU presidency, held by France, announced.