On May 22 (Moscow time), according to TASS, Economic Commissioner of the European Commission (EC) - Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis - said that the EU will not return to importing oil and gas from Russia, even in the context of rising energy prices due to conflicts in the Middle East.
In an interview with Euronews, Mr. Dombrovskis emphasized that the decision to reduce and move towards completely ending dependence on Russian energy is a strategic choice of the EU, not a temporary solution.
There is no reason to go back. We have diversified our supplies. Currently, Norway is the largest gas supplier of the EU, while the US is the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG)," he said.
According to European officials, the EU is currently not concerned about the risk of energy shortages, although the international market is being affected by new geopolitical developments. He believes that the diversification of supply in recent years has helped the bloc significantly reduce energy security risks.
After the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022, the EU implemented a series of measures to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas. Member countries increased LNG imports from the US, expanded energy cooperation with Norway, Qatar and some other countries, and promoted the development of renewable energy.
These efforts have significantly changed Europe's energy import structure. While Russia used to be one of the EU's largest gas suppliers, the proportion of Russian energy in the bloc's total imports has decreased sharply in recent years.
Mr. Dombrovskis affirmed that the EU's goal is to continue to fully implement the roadmap set out, regardless of energy prices fluctuating in the short term.
Earlier this year, the European Commission (EC) reached consensus from the EU Council on a plan to indefinitely ban the purchase of Russian gas from 2027. According to this plan, all member states will have to stop importing Russian gas, regardless of the developments of the conflict in Ukraine.
Mr. Dombrovskis' statement was made in the context that many markets are closely monitoring the impact of Middle East tensions on global energy supplies. However, the EU affirmed that it will continue to pursue a strategy of diversifying supply sources instead of returning to dependence on Russian oil and gas.
