Eight European Union countries remain buyers of Russian gas, as reported by the EU spokesperson for energy issues, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen. Among them are Hungary, Slovakia, as well as Belgium, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and Portugal. At the same time, it remains unclear where the imported gas is stored and which countries ultimately consume it.
This is reported by Business • Media
EU Plans to Withdraw from Russian Gas
The European Union is considering the possibility of completely halting imports of Russian gas as early as 2027. Within the framework of the 19th sanctions package, discussions are underway to accelerate the timeline by one year: the withdrawal from Russian “blue fuel” could occur from January 1, 2027, although it was previously planned for 2028.
Pressure from the US and New EU Trade Measures
US President Donald Trump has again urged European countries to completely stop purchasing Russian oil. Against this backdrop, the EU is considering the introduction of tariffs on oil supplies from Russia that come through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia. The relevant trade measures could be adopted separately from the new sanctions package — to approve them, the support of a majority of member states is sufficient, rather than a unanimous decision as is the case with sanctions.
Eight EU countries continue to buy Russian gas, reported the EU energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen. According to her, in addition to Hungary and Slovakia, Russian “blue fuel” is imported by Belgium, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and Portugal. At the same time, it is unknown where this gas is stored and where it is ultimately consumed.