G7 pledges Russia oil price cap plan

The aim is to reduce Russia's revenues and, by doing so, its ability to fund its war in Ukraine, while also limiting the impact of the war on global energy prices.

In a statement issued by Germany, which chairs the G7 this year, the ministers said they "confirm our joint political intention to finalise and implement a comprehensive prohibition of services which enable maritime transportation of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products globally".

Providing those services "would only be allowed if the oil and petroleum products are purchased at or below a price ('the price cap') determined by the broad coalition of countries adhering to and implementing the price cap," they added.

The statement did not give any figure for a potential price cap and also did not specify when the G7 aims to finalise the plan.

It said "we invite all countries to provide input on the price cap's design and to implement this important measure".

When they met in Germany in June, the leaders of the G7 - the US, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan - agreed to explore the feasibility of measures to bar imports of Russian oil above a certain level.

The price cap - pushed by US President Joe Biden - could work because the service providers are mostly located in the European Union (EU) or the UK and thus within reach of sanctions.

To be effective, however, it would have to involve as many importing countries as possible, in particular India, where refiners have been snapping up cheap Russian oil shunned by Western traders.

The US has already blocked Russian oil imports, which were small in any case.

The EU has decided to impose a ban on the 90 per cent of Russian oil that comes by sea, but the ban does not take effect until the end of the year.

Australian Associated Press