The European Union is moving forward with plans to halt oil and gas purchases from Russia by January 1, 2028, with the deadline unchanged.
On Thursday, Trump told European officials to halt oil purchases from Russia, but Reuters said he first reported developments from Copenhagen on September 5th, not giving them a deadline.
On Friday, Dan Jorgensen, who handled the EU energy policy, revealed in an interview that Washington had not asked to quickly track deadlines.
“Putin not only struck us with energy as a weapon, but also blackmailed our member states, but in fact indirectly supporting Putin’s funding for war, which needs to be stopped. And if President Trump agrees to it, that’s certainly a welcome support, as it is certainly our main purpose,” Jorgensen said.
Currently, the European Union has finalized a legal rule that officially prohibits the import of oil and gas from Russia within the next three years. These imports have been one of Russia’s biggest cash flows since the full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and their funds have been straightened to war efforts.
Hungary and Slovakia want to resist, and gas and oil continue to flow
Not all EU countries are equipped. Hungary and Slovakia bring in around 200,000 to 250,000 barrels of Russian oil daily through the Druzhba pipeline. This is about 3% of the total oil needs of the block. They also buy Russian gas and are not satisfied with the Brussels timeline, so this cutoff jacks energy prices and warns that it could cause a country’s shortage.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fiko was in his position during a press conference on Friday after meeting Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky. He refused to comment on Trump’s comments, but I insisted “We needed a reliable supply,” noting that several European countries are still purchasing Russian gas and US liquefied natural gas to meet their energy needs.
Jorgensen confirmed that consultations are underway with both Hungary and Slovakia. However, he said their support was not necessary to push through the plan. “If there are countries that don’t feel they can support it for domestic reasons, this does not require unanimity,” he said. He had not said whether Brussels would provide financial support or legal protection.
The current phase-out proposal does not require unanimous agreement. A reinforced majority from member states is required, and EU diplomats hope to approve the plan at the next meeting.
US and EU discuss large-scale gas purchases, Kremlin Silent
While this is all down in Europe, the Kremlin has not responded to Trump’s warnings. Meanwhile, Jorgensen is preparing to meet with Brussels Energy Secretary Chris Wright next week.
At the top of the agenda? The large EU is committed to purchasing US energy worth $250 billion each year under the ongoing US EU trade agreement.
Many analysts call its target unrealistic, saying that the EU is not very strong about what private energy companies have chosen to import. Jorgensen disagreed. “It’s clear that our role is to promote. The EU is not a gas trader,” he said.
Still, there’s a talk on how to make it work. One option on the table is to pool demand, and European companies unite to order large quantities of gas from the US. It’s not trapped, but it’s been discussed as a way to help both parties stick to the deal.
Europe will significantly reduce Russia’s dependence on oil, but gas imports from Russia are still significantly higher. This year, around 13% of EU gas is expected to come from Russia, down from 45% before the war began, but it’s still a big figure.
Outside of Europe, Washington began punishing countries that continued to buy Russian fuel. India was hit by new tariffs from the US for its continued oil imports from Russia, and India was fired for accusing the West of being a hypocrite.
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