said European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson after a meeting of energy ministers in Luxembourg.
“We knew this contract would expire before the end of the year. The EC is working closely with the most affected member states to prepare for a zero-transit scenario. Central and Southeastern Europe already have diversified supply options to fully replace these 14 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, and LNG terminals have enough capacity. There is a transport infrastructure, and there are various supply routes for both LNG and pipeline imports,” Simson said.
She emphasized that the EU can refuse Russian gas and called it a “political choice.”
“If the member states want to sign new agreements, it is a political choice and dangerous. After all, the value of relations with Russia is measured not only by the gas price but also by the lives lost in Ukraine,” she emphasized, alluding to Hungary, which signed with Gazprom a “memorandum on increasing gas supply.”