Mr. Anders Opedal, CEO of Norwegian energy group Equinor, said that the EU is almost unlikely to increase Russian gas imports in the context of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Speaking at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston (USA), Mr. Opedal emphasized: Bringing Russian gas back to the European market "will be very, very difficult", especially when the EU still maintains its position in favor of Ukraine.
Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022, the EU has gradually reduced dependence on Russian energy. The proportion of Russian gas in the bloc's total imports has decreased sharply from 45% to only about 12% by 2025.
Instead, Europe is shifting to diversifying supply sources, in which liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US and stable supply from Norway play a key role. This restructuring makes "turning back" to Russia not only an economic problem, but also a political and strategic issue.
According to Mr. Opedal, exchanges with officials of many European countries show that resuming Russian gas imports while the war is not over is politically unacceptable.
Europe's calculations become more complicated as tensions in the Middle East escalate, especially after the conflict between the US - Israel and Iran.
Attacks on energy facilities and disruptions to transportation through the Strait of Hormuz - a route that transports about 20% of global oil and LNG - have raised the risk of a new energy crisis.
However, instead of returning to dependence on Russia, Europe is choosing to consolidate alternative supply sources, in which Norway emerges as an important pillar.
Mr. Opedal said that almost all of Norway's gas production is currently transferred to Europe, along with 90-95% of the oil produced.
In 2025, Equinor recorded record high oil and gas production, thanks to increased international exploitation. The company expects to continue to grow by about 3% this year.
Not stopping there, Equinor is stepping up exploration and development of new projects. In the Norwegian continental shelf, the company has participated in 8 oil and gas discoveries in just the first few months of the year. The Rosebank project in the North Sea - although environmentally controversial in the UK - is still being promoted.
On a global scale, Equinor places high hopes on the Bay du Nord offshore Canada project, with a total investment of about 10 billion USD and an expected capacity of 160,000 barrels/day from 2032.
According to Equinor's leader, the world still has a lot of untapped oil and gas potential, especially in Norway, England, Brazil, Argentina and Namibia. This opens up room for Western countries to reduce dependence on geopolitically risky supplies.
In that context, Europe's stance is increasingly clear: Prioritize long-term energy security and political alliance, instead of returning to supply from Russia.
