The European Union plans to completely stop Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this during a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, UNIAN reports.
"Today, our imports of Russian gas have dropped from 45% to 12%. And we will reduce it to zero by the end of next year," Von der Leyen said.
Brussels has no intention of reviewing its current energy policy.
"Four years ago, Russia tried to blackmail us. At that time, 45% of our gas imports came from Russia. Almost overnight, almost all of these imports were cut off. But Europe remained united and we emerged stronger," the Commission President noted.
The EU's decision to completely abandon Russian gas comes against the backdrop of a new energy crisis. European consumers and industry are facing a sharp jump in energy prices.
Von der Leyen reported that gas prices have risen by 140% since the end of February, while the price of diesel fuel has doubled during this period.
"Overall, imported fossil fuels have cost Europe an additional 100 billion euros since the start of the war. And this - without a single additional molecule of energy," she pointed out.
Von der Leyen expressed confidence that Europe will be able to overcome the current crisis and emerge stronger.
Source: news.bg