Latvian President Edgars Rinkėvičs has called on Hungary and Slovakia to “listen to Trump“, who is urging European countries to stop importing Russian gas and oil as part of the EU's efforts to end its dependence on Vladimir Putin's energy supplies.
“Look at my country, Latvia. In 2017, we were 100% dependent on Russian gas and oil. Today, in 2025, we are completely independent. We buy oil and gas from different countries. "If there is political will, there will be results," Rinkėvičs said in an interview with Euronews.
The EU has already significantly reduced its dependence. Russian crude oil imports have fallen from around 27% to 3%, and natural gas from around 45% to 18-19%. While most countries support this transition, Slovakia and Hungary continue to oppose it.
During his speech to the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized European countries for their continued purchases of Russian energy:
„Think about it. They are financing a war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of such a thing?“, Trump said.
Sanctions and frozen assets
Rinkėvičs stressed that an accelerated withdrawal from the Russian energy market could seriously affect the war in Ukraine. "The Russian economy is not doing so well. If we stop buying oil and gas and impose stricter sanctions, that could change the situation," he said.
According to him, it must also be decided how to use frozen Russian assets worth about 210 billion euros for military and economic support for Ukraine. The president also insisted on "secondary sanctions" against countries that help Russia circumvent European measures.
Security guarantees
Rinkėvičs also commented on the efforts of a "coalition of the willing," led by France and Britain, to develop security guarantees for Ukraine after the war, including the possibility of deploying troops.
“If we decide to provide security guarantees, we will need the support of the United States. "Not necessarily with troops, but with logistics, intelligence and other forms of assistance," he specified.
At the same time, the Latvian president stressed that "there are no signs that Russia is ready for serious peace negotiations."