The European Union is to propose a ban on all Russian oil imports as part of a sixth package of sanctions triggered by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The staggered ban would hit all Russian oil products, "seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined", Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, said on Wednesday.
The embargo would be phased-in, with crude oil banned within six months and refined oil by the end of 2022.
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EU countries will now discuss the proposal, which needs to be approved by all 27 member states.
There is reluctance to back a total ban without viable alternatives in some countries with high dependencies on Russian energy.
The move comes during a cost-of-living crisis that has sent inflation in the euro zone soaring by an estimated 7.5 per cent in April compared with a year earlier, according to the Statistical Office of the European Union, while growth languished at 0.2 per cent.
European lawmakers, while supportive of the measures, warned that the bloc needs to address the economic and social effects of the war and the sanctions.
"We need to address the consequences also on families, some of them are not even turning on their heating because they can no longer afford to do so," said Esther de Lange, a Dutch MEP from the centre-right European People's Party.
Luis Garicano, a Spanish MEP from the centre-left Renew Group, argued that the ban needed to be brought in immediately, calculating that since the start of the year, "the EU has sent the Russians €52 billion" (US$54.7 billion), a figure that could rise to €100 billion by the year's end.
In light of the economic pressure, the commission has pledged to pump extra funds into the economy, and to quickly find new energy suppliers.
On Wednesday, it also approved a German scheme worth €11 billion to support companies affected by the war.
It also comes amid reports that China has been picking up discounted Russian energy products, in a move that risks secondary sanctioning by the United States.
The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that refineries had been buying Russian oil without reporting it, to avoid scrutiny and sanctions.
US sanctions would automatically kick in against companies from third countries that are found to be dealing with sanctioned Russian entities.
The EU does not have a secondary sanctioning mechanism, but has publicly warned China not to help Russia circumvent sanctions that they say are designed to cripple Vladimir Putin's war machine.