The EU is proposing a ban on Russian coal imports in its 5th round of sanctions — but didn't mention natural gas

Natural gas was left out of the discussion as the European Union considered banning Russian coal in its fifth round of sanctions against the country.

Von de Leyen made the announcement amid reports of Russian atrocities. Over the weekend, Ukraine accused Russian forces of killing hundreds of people.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a statement that Russia is in a cruel and ruthless war against its own people.

Von der Leyen said that an EU import ban on Russian coal would cost the country 4 billion euros a year. Russia was the third-largest exporter of coal in 2020.

von der Leyen said that the EU is working on sanctions against Russian oil imports. She didn't mention natural gas.

The reason the EU commission proposed banning Russian coal is likely because it is the easiest to replace.

According to Eurostat, the EU imported half of its coal from Russia in 2020. Europe is moving away from coal to cleaner natural gas for electricity generation. Nuclear energy and solid fossil fuels accounted for 13% of the EU's energy mix in 2019, while natural gas accounted for 22%, according to Eurostat. crude oil accounted for 36% of the energy mix.

European coal prices have gained on news of the potential sanctions.