EU to halt all imports of Russian energy, says European Commissioner

The European Union is firmly committed to halting the import of energy resources from Russia and has no intention of returning to it, neither now nor in the future.

This was announced by the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, in an interview with Ukrinform.

Speaking before an informal meeting of European energy ministers in Warsaw, Jørgensen emphasized that the "roadmap" presented by the European Commission envisions a complete rejection of Russian energy.

“Through the 'roadmap' presented by the European Commission last week, we are saying that we will no longer succumb to blackmail by Russia, we will no longer allow energy to be turned into a weapon against us, and we will no longer indirectly replenish Putin's 'war chest.' That is why we have decided to end the import of Russian energy," said the European Commissioner.

In his view, this step is "extremely important for our own security and also for our solidarity with Ukraine."

Responding to a question about the potential restoration of Russian gas imports in the context of negotiations to end the war, Simson was firm. He stated that the EU has no intention of importing "a single molecule" of Russian energy, neither now nor in the future.

"This is a very clear signal from us. We do not want to import a single molecule in the future. For us, this is a very clear 'roadmap' to end dependency, and it does not depend on the ongoing negotiations. The European Union is very clear on this – we do not want energy from Russia in the future. We do not want it now, and we will not have that desire after peace is reached," Jørgensen concluded.

• In 2024, imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European Union reached a record level despite the bloc's efforts to reduce its gas dependence on this country after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.