“It is already valuable and important that there is a common goal to end Russian gas supplies,” the minister told Žinių radijas on Thursday, adding that Lithuania is “setting an example” by being the first in the bloc to cut off such imports.
“With our leadership we are showing that other countries must do the same as soon as possible,” he added.
Although talks between EU member states remain complex, Vaičiūnas says he expects clarity by the end of the year.
“Negotiations are ongoing, and I believe we will have a result by the end of this year,” he said, adding that “we may even have some good news that the deadlines could be brought forward.”
In spring, the European Commission announced its aim to completely ban Russian gas imports into the EU by the end of 2027.
About 19% of the EU’s gas demand is still covered by Russian gas. The EU is also considering increasing imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from other countries.
Lithuania completely abandoned Russian gas imports in April 2022, becoming the first EU country to do so. It was soon joined in the move by Latvia and Estonia.