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Ten European Union countries, including Romania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia and Finland, have called on the 27 countries of the bloc to support a ban on imports of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia. The initiative was set out in a document seen by Reuters. The countries signed the joint statement ahead of the consideration of the 16th package of EU sanctions against Russia, which is aimed at increasing pressure over its aggression in Ukraine.
The document emphasises that the ultimate goal is to ban imports of Russian gas and LNG, which is planned to be introduced as soon as possible. However, it is noted that an alternative to this could be a gradual reduction in the use of Russian fuel by 2027, as envisaged by the RePowerEU plan.
European countries have already imposed sanctions on maritime oil imports from Russia, but gas remains a critical issue. Some EU countries, such as Hungary, remain dependent on Russian gas, making it difficult to reach a unanimous decision.
10 countries have also called for a ban on Russian LNG tankers’ access to European ports. This initiative would require the support of all EU member states, making the process of adopting such sanctions even more difficult.
Over the past year, the EU’s imports of Russian gas have dropped significantly, and the bloc has increased its imports of US LNG and other alternative energy sources. Despite these efforts, however, Slovakia has said it is seeking to renew the agreement to supply Russian gas via Ukraine.
The EU is actively seeking ways to strengthen its energy security, in particular by expanding the use of renewable energy sources and increasing LNG imports to reduce its dependence on Russian energy resources.
