Even post-war, EU will not return to Russian gas, commissioner says
EU Energy Commissioner (Photo: Dan Jørgensen / Twitter)
The European Union will never return to Russian energy supplies, even after the war in Ukraine ends, Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said on Dec. 5 in an interview with Euronews.
Jorgensen called the ban on Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas “a point of no return” for the bloc.
“Even when there’s peace, we won’t buy Russian gas again,” he said.
“Our agreement will stand even after a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is reached.”
He also expressed regret over Hungary’s reaction to the European Commission’s directive, noting that Budapest intends to challenge it.
“I don’t really understand these countries [Hungary and Slovakia],” Jorgensen said.
“I believe we should stand shoulder to shoulder against [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin to help our friends in Ukraine.”
Jorgensen described the tough negotiations in the European Parliament, where MEPs eventually adopted the gas ban under trade rules rather than as sanctions. That approach was necessary because sanctions require unanimous approval by all 27 EU member states, and there was no consensus on this measure.
On Russian oil imports, Jorgensen said the European Commission will submit a legislative proposal early next year to ban all Russian oil imports.
Earlier this month, the European Council and European Parliament agreed on a regulation to phase out Russian gas imports: LNG by the end of 2026 and pipeline gas by late 2027.
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