“By continuing to purchase LNG from Russia, the EU maintains its dependency on a country that uses energy as a hybrid weapon and a tool of manipulation; this undermines EU unity and diminishes public trust,” the Chairs of EU affairs committees underline, and point out that that every euro paid to Russia for energy helps finance its war against Ukraine and poses a direct threat to the EU.
According to the Chairs, imports from Russia should be halted through strong political will. They note that existing LNG terminals and the terminals that will be built should fulfil their initial purpose: diversifying gas import routes and enabling the EU to stop importing gas from Russia, not the other way around. “These capacities must not become a backdoor for Russian gas entering Europe,” the Chairs of Committees emphasise.
The signatories call on the European Commission, the European Parliament, national parliaments, and the governments of the EU Member States to act urgently to meet the goal set by the European Commission and enforce the deadline of 1 January 2027 for the cessation of imports of gas from Russia.
The communication stresses that the decision to cease energy imports from Russia must be a long-term commitment. “We must remain steadfast in strengthening our security and resilience by seeking solutions that align with EU values,” it says.
The Chairs of the EU affairs committees call on continuing diplomatic efforts to strengthen relationships with reliable energy suppliers from other regions such as Central Asia, the Middle East, the US, and Norway in order to ensure a stable and diversified energy supply, preventing the EU from replacing its dependency on Russian energy with reliance on other unstable suppliers.
The Chairs of the European Union Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland met at the beginning of this week in Vilnius, Lithuania, where they focused on joint priorities, like protection of external borders, and energy security.
The full text of the letter is attached to this story above.
