EU agrees on Russia sanctions so far, but energy divides

The European Union has preserved a sense of rarely seen unity through four rounds of unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine

BRUSSELS -- The European Union preserved a sense of rarely seen unity through four rounds of unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. But at a summit Thursday, the 27 leaders faced division on the biggest issue of all: energy.

During the first month of war, EU nations imposed tough measures targeting Russia's economy and financial system as well as President Vladimir Putin and Russian oligarchs.

Unlike the U.S., they have so far spared Russian fossil fuels, highlighting the EU's reliance on the country's oil, natural gas and coal to keep homes warm and the wheels of industry turning.

“We are not at war with ourselves,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said at the summit in Brussels, where sanctions and energy were key topics. “Sanctions must always have a much bigger impact on the Russian side than on ours.”