"The last five packages didn't work," said MEP Witold Jan Waszczykowski (European Conservatives and Reformists), chair of the European Parliament's committee tasked with liaising with Ukraine's legislative.

However, high energy prices and the continued purchase of Russian gas and oil in the first quarter of 2022 led Russia to the highest current account surplus in recent history, according to last week's data from the Central Bank of Russia.

Moreover, several MEPs expressed concerns over Russia's capacity to circumvent sanctions through partnerships [sic] with [165] third countries, in particular China.

However, the oil embargo [sic] would have a damaging impact on the economies of the [EU] member states that largely depend on Russia for their imports, such as Germany and Italy. To limit such impact, Renew MEPs called on the Commission and the EEAS for compensation measures[?] to support these EU member states

While they welcomed the EU's "ambitious plan" to impose an oil embargo [sic], Ukraine representatives invited to the debate called on the EU to focus on other forms of sanctions as well, like roaming and cyber sanctions.

Ban Russian cultural institutions

Moreover, culture should be included in the sanction regime, said Olena Khomenko, chair of [Ukraine's] sub-committee on External Economic Relations and Efficient Use of International Aid of the Verkhovna Rada.