Baltic countries call on Brussels to accelerate plan to abandon Russian oil (Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have called on the European Union to accelerate plans to ban Russian oil imports, aiming to cut funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine and reduce Europe’s energy dependence, the Financial Times reported June 27.
Representatives of the Baltic states urged the EU to speed up work on a plan to phase out Russian oil during a meeting of EU energy ministers on June 26, sources told the newspaper.
European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen did not comment on the calls during the closed part of the meeting, the sources said. The European Commission said it was working on a relevant proposal.
Russia’s share of EU oil imports fell from 27% at the beginning of 2022 to 2% in 2025, according to European Commission data. That share still amounted to about 9.7 million metric tons of crude oil.
The European Union has already agreed to gradually phase out Russian gas imports by the fall of 2027. Plans for an oil embargo were put on hold, however, amid the crisis around Iran, the Financial Times reported.
The proposal was expected to be presented on April 15 but was removed from the European Commission’s preliminary agenda in March, the report said.
EU officials also warned that damage to energy infrastructure in countries including Qatar, one of Europe’s largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas, could complicate a rapid recovery in production even if a lasting ceasefire is reached.
The European Commission also plans to accelerate Europe’s shift toward electricity and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The EU Council extended economic sanctions against Russia for another year, until July 31, 2027, on June 25.
The bloc also said it intended to maintain pressure on Moscow, including through the adoption of a 21st sanctions package.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and
Google News