Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson expressed that the European Union is ready to refuse Russian gas.
The European Union is ready to restrict Russian natural gas that transits through Ukraine. This was stated by the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson. According to her, today EU nations import “impressive volumes” of Russian blue fuel. “The European Union is ready to live without Russian natural gas, the transit of which was carried out through Ukraine,” Simpson stated.
What steps has the EU taken to reduce its dependence on Russian gas?
She recognized, however, that now the member countries of the association persist in importing Russian gas but in smaller quantities than before. “EU imports of Russian gas are still outstanding, although they have dropped from 45% in 2021 to 15% in 2023,” the European Commissioner for Energy highlighted. The agreement for the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine expires on December 31 of this year. Kyiv has recently repeatedly commented that it does not intend to extend the agreement.
How has the EU diversified its energy supply to counter Russian gas threats?
While the European Union has greatly decreased the amount of gas it imports from Russia, the hydrocarbon is still powering some European homes and businesses and increasing Kremlin revenues as a result. When the war started, European leaders were compelled to reckon with a long-established dependency on both Russian gas and oil. Gas was a special problem, as in 2021, 34% of the EU’s gas came from Russia.
Governments in Central and Eastern Europe were especially dependent. When the EU mooted a prohibition, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was quick to express his opposition. “Europe has deliberately exempted energy reserves from Russia from sanctions. At the moment, Europe’s supply of energy for heat generation, mobility, power supply, and industry cannot be secured in any other way,” he stated.
Vladimir Putin grabbed on this. Throughout 2022, Russia slashed gas imports to Europe. European leaders worried about a winter energy shortage. These fears were never discovered, but crucially, they meant the EU never even sanctioned Russian gas. “It was never a sanction,” states Benjamin Hilgenstock from the Kyiv School of Economics. “It was a voluntary decision by countries, and a smart one, to diversify supply and no longer be blackmailed by Russia,” he said.
