Dependence on Russia has fallen dramatically, Ben McWilliams of the Brussels-based think tank “Bruegel” tells ARD. This applies especially to natural gas. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the EU has reduced the amount of gas it imports from Russia by three-quarters. From the beginning of next year, the import of liquefied gas has been completely banned, and from the autumn this will also apply to pipeline gas.
But the overall picture is more complicated. According to data from the Finnish think tank CREA, the 27 member states of the Community have spent around 238 billion euros on coal, oil and gas from Russia. And through these means, Russia is terrorizing the Ukrainian population with missiles and drones, says MEP Hanna Gedin from the Swedish socialist party „Vänsterpartiet".
Some countries remain dependent on oil
At the beginning of the year, the European Commission promised a plan to exempt them from importing Russian oil, but it has not yet been presented. „Where is the promised legislation? Where is their courage to set a good example", Gedin asked in the parliament in Strasbourg.
In terms of oil, some EU member states remain dependent on Russia - Hungary and Slovakia through the „Druzhba" oil pipeline. And this type of dependence cannot be eliminated overnight, ARD points out. At the same time, he notes that for the EU as a whole, the share of Russian oil has decreased significantly.
Trump's diesel deal stirs up the spirits
However, the US government's approach has caused new unrest. Washington first concluded a diesel deal with Russia, and then President Trump lifted sanctions against the Putin regime just before they were due to come into force. "It would be crazy to buy energy from Russia again," commented Ben McWilliams of "Bruegel" to the German public media.
The energy expert is of the opinion that Trump's diplomacy towards Russia should in no way affect the current European line. Most MEPs, such as the Social Democrat Jens Geyer, also believe this. “We are in a relationship of dependence with a country that has waged war, and this must be ended as soon as possible in some way."
Some countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia, continue to depend on Russian oil. Photo: Michal Kamaryt/CTK/picture alliance
High dependence on nuclear energy
However, nuclear energy is an aspect of energy dependence on Russia that is rarely touched upon in Brussels and Strasbourg. The amount of uranium imported by Russia has remained almost unchanged for years, according to data from the “Euratom” agency. The state concern “Rosatom”, which enriches uranium, has even expanded its business in the EU.
Five EU countries, including Bulgaria, have Russian-made reactors. And in Germany, in Lingen in Lower Saxony, the production of fuel elements for them is about to begin soon - through a Franco-Russian joint venture of „Framatome" and „Rosatom".
This is a gap in European energy policy, Ben McWilliams tells ARD. „The amounts are not that big in euros - for Putin's military machine, oil and gas are much more important. But the problem with uranium is the strategic dependence on Russia."
Diversification takes time
Despite European declarations of intent, however, there has been no particular development so far, and not only because of resistance from France. French liberal MEP Pascal Canfin points out on this occasion that it is indeed very technically difficult to achieve liberation from Russian uranium compared to gas or oil.
In addition, in this regard, suppliers are extremely diversified, writes ARD. The EU imports large quantities of uranium from Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia. While in the case of gas, at the beginning of 2022 - i.e. before the start of the war - half of the imports were from Russia. This imbalance, allowing Russia to dictate things, should never be repeated, says Canfin.
Therefore, the most important thing for the EU is to increasingly rely on electricity, increasingly produced from renewable sources. But, as Kanfen points out to the German public media, this is where the next big danger lies - namely, the dependence on China for the production of solar panels and wind turbines.
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