The Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok once said “don’t waste your time looking back. You’re not going that way.” The words of the former king of Sweden and Denmark should resonate as a timely reminder for the European Commission and EU leaders as they wean themselves off their addiction to Russian gas.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Europe has taken steps to limit the ability of President Vladimir Putin and his regime to fund the conflict. In this vein, on 24th February 2025 the EU adopted its 16th sanctions package to limit the economic activity of Russia and its ability to bankroll Putin’s war machine.
Positive steps, but an outright ban is needed
These new economic and individual measures are positive in that they prohibit the temporary storage of Russian crude oil and petroleum products in EU ports, irrespective of the purchase price and of the destination of these products. Moreover, the package extends restrictions on technology and services for Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil projects while expanding existing software export bans to oil and gas exploration.
These constructive steps aside, the package falls short of a full ban on Russian LNG. Ten EU countries — including Finland, Poland and the Baltics — have been calling on the European Commission to prohibit the import of Russian gas and LNG at the earliest date possible, while setting in stone an EU roadmap and timeframe to end all Russian energy ties. Yet their calls have so far fallen on deaf ears. This is a mistake and a missed opportunity: a miscalculation that is augmented in light of deals potentially being made between the United States and Russia without the EU having a seat at the negotiating table. The EU should take a stand and outlaw Russian LNG completely through sanctions, tariffs or additional infrastructure restrictions.
A roadmap for ending Russian energy imports
In March 2022, European heads of state and government called on the European Commission to work on a plan to phase out Russian fuels. The resulting framework – REPowerEU – was launched in May 2022. The broad goals of this were to save energy, diversify power supplies and produce clean energy. As part of this process, the European Commission will present a “Roadmap for Ending Russian Energy Imports” on 26th March 2025. This document has already been delayed and there are fears that this will be a weak, non-binding instrument, rather than the decisive line in the sand that is required. Instead, the roadmap is likely to empower EU Member States to make full use of the existing tools to shift away from Russian fuel imports by 2027.
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Furthermore, against this unsatisfactory background, the EU imported record amounts of LNG from Russia in 2024. Moreover, some EU Member States are also discussing a possible return of Russian gas in a post-war environment.
Nord Stream: a step in the wrong direction
Positive sentiment around returning to the status quo ante with regards to Russian oil and gas, as well as stories circulating around discussions to resume Russian gas exports to Germany via the mothballed Nord Stream 2 undersea pipeline, should be a cause for alarm. Russia and the U.S. appear to have been discussing an agreement that would see American companies investing in the gas pipeline project and acting as intermediaries in the delivery of energy to Europe. Although very far from a done deal, these negotiations cast a shadow over EU moves to free the bloc from Russian fossil fuels.
U.S. LNG imports are the way forward
The invasion of Ukraine underlines that no half-measures should be accepted when it comes to banning the import of Russian gas and LNG into Europe. The EU should stop Russian LNG imports and focus on buying LNG from the U.S. instead in order to meet Europe’s energy needs. The strategy would have a double benefit. Firstly, a proactive approach to the Trump administration to buy American goods may prevent tariffs being imposed on the EU and an escalation towards a full-blown internecine trade war. Secondly, the U.S. represents a reliable partner for energy and geopolitical reasons.
Turning to the U.S. would be a concrete structural move away from the EU’s reliance on Russian gas. The current unreliable nature of renewable energy will mean that demand for gas will remain strong in Europe well into the future, necessitating U.S. LNG imports as well as from other partners such as Qatar.
At this moment in time, as the global energy sector assembles in Houston for CERAWeek, a positive step into the future is better than a damaging glance back to the past.
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