Europe has promised the United States to completely stop buying Russian gas in any form by the end of next year, US Energy Secretary Christopher Wright said in an interview with CNBC.
"They (the Europeans) have categorically stated that by the end of next year, 2026, they will completely stop importing Russian gas in any form. Until the end of this year, it is still possible to buy Russian gas under spot contracts. You can buy gas from Russia under the contract in 2026. But as soon as the first of January 2027 comes, there will be no more Russian gas," he said.
Wright noted that the United States intends to completely replace Russia in European gas imports.
The European Union is reducing purchases of Russian energy carriers from 2022. Russian gas supplies to Europe continue along the only route after the transit through pipelines passing through Ukraine is stopped — the Turkish Stream.
In May, the European Commission presented a plan for the gradual abandonment of Russian energy carriers by the end of 2027. It is proposed to terminate spot contracts with Russian gas suppliers by the end of this year, suspend new ones, restrict uranium imports and take new measures to combat the "shadow fleet". At the end of July, Reuters reported that the European Parliament was considering proposals to speed up the refusal. The EU from Russian gas for one year and curtail imports in January 2027.
This is opposed by Hungary, whose authorities emphasize that they will continue to buy Russian gas. Budapest also rejected US demands to abandon oil supplies from Russia.
Washington is putting pressure on Brussels is discussing joint sanctions against Russia, including demanding that Russian gas supplies be abandoned and duties imposed on China and India. Also, the rejection of Russian energy carriers is included in the trade agreement between Washington and Brussels, concluded at the end of July: The EU will refuse to import Russian oil and gas in favor of American energy resources.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the European Union pays special attention to the process of refusing to purchase Russian energy resources while preparing the 19th package of sanctions against Russia.
Moscow considers the restrictions imposed illegal. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stressed that the country has managed to reduce its dependence on hydrocarbon exports. By the spring of 2025, the share of oil and gas revenues in the federal budget revenue structure was only a quarter, RBC reminds with reference to the words of Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.