The bloc might impose punitive measures on Beijing for buying oil and gas from Moscow if Washington backs the move, the newspaper has claimed

The European Union is considering secondary sanctions on China over its continued purchases of Russian oil and gas, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources.

The British newspaper reported that EU officials began discussing the matter on Sunday. A source said that the talks are still at a "very early stage." Before committing to any punitive measures against Beijing, Brussels reportedly wants to have the "full backing of the US and co-ordination with Washington," according to the FT.

To ensure this, EU officials travelled to the US on Monday, while US Energy Secretary Chris Wright will head to Brussels later in the week, the paper wrote.

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, China emerged as the top importer of Russian oil.

Earlier this year, the EU sanctioned several Chinese firms over their alleged support for industries that aid Russia's military. Beijing slammed the move as "unreasonable" and accused the bloc of "double standards." It emphasized that China strictly regulates dual-use goods and insisted it has not supplied any lethal weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine conflict.

On Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the US and EU could impose more sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil.

Beijing earlier vowed to "ensure its energy supply" in ways that protect its interests, and cautioned that "tariff wars have no winners."

Last month, US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on India to 50% citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil. Indian officials denounced the move as "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said last week that India will continue to buy Russian crude, stressing that the nation's oil purchases are driven by its economic priorities and not external pressure.

Last week, during his four-day visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West against talking to such global economic powerhouses as China and India in an "unacceptable" tone. He argued that pressure on Beijing and New Delhi is intended to slow their economic rise.

(RT.com)