European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen stated on Monday that the EU will permanently halt imports of Russian energy.
The European Commission rejected calls to ease the EU’s ban on Russian gas, despite renewed political pressure over rising energy costs. The pushback followed Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s appeal to restore ties with Moscow for cheaper energy.
“It would be a mistake to repeat what was done in the past. The message is clear: in the future, we will not import a single molecule from Russia,” said Jørgensen.
Meanwhile, Europe faced another surge in oil and gas prices tied to the conflict involving Iran.
Dan Jørgensen emphasized that the EU will not reopen access to Russian energy, noting that Europe cannot risk returning to the dependency that Moscow previously exploited as leverage.
EU legislation envisions a gradual yet permanent end to Russian gas imports, with LNG shipments to be phased out by the end of 2026 and pipeline gas by the end of 2027.
Meanwhile, Moscow has signaled willingness to restore energy ties, with Vladimir Putin asserting that Russia never severed ties with European buyers and would resume long-term supply if political considerations were removed.
De Wever recently voiced support for a potential deal with Russia concerning the Ukraine conflict. Over the weekend, he urged Europe to strengthen its defenses, remilitarize its borders, and restore ties with Moscow to secure cheaper energy. His remarks were welcomed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
Hungary and Slovakia are currently blocking approval of a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine. Both countries stopped receiving Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been offline since January, following an attack.
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