EU vows no Russian oil

Valdis Dombrovskis said on May 22 that the European Union would not go back to Russian oil or gas, framing the bloc’s post-invasion energy break with Moscow as a lasting policy choice rather than a temporary wartime fix. In comments to Euronews, the European commissioner for the economy said the EU “should not” look to cheaper Russian fossil fuels for relief as the Middle East crisis keeps pressure on energy markets. The remarks matter because the EU is still buying some Russian energy even after cutting imports sharply since 2022. The European Commission says Russian gas supplied 45% of EU gas imports before the war and had fallen to 12% in 2025, while Russian oil’s share dropped from 27% at the start of 2022 to 2%, with only two EU countries still importing Russian oil. (euronews.com) Dombrovskis also said Russia was “milking” the Middle East crisis for energy profits and that the bloc would not weaken sanctions just to bring in cheaper supplies. Euronews reported the comments on May 22. ### Why is Brussels still talking about Russian energy if imports are already down? (energy.ec.europa.eu) The European Commission says the phaseout is not finished. Its REPowerEU page says the EU still imports about 35 billion cubic meters of Russian gas a year and spends about 10 billion euros annually on that gas. The Commission says those remaining volumes will be out of the EU market in less than two years. (euronews.com) That leaves a gap between political messaging and commercial reality. The bloc has already banned Russian coal and cut most oil purchases, but pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas from Russia have not fully disappeared from Europe’s supply mix. ### What exactly did Dombrovskis say about sanctions? Valdis Dombrovskis told Euronews that the EU would not ease its sanctions regime in exchange for cheaper oil or gas flows. (energy.ec.europa.eu) Euronews said he cast the issue as one of strategic resilience as well as prices, arguing that the bloc should avoid renewed dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The policy line fits the Commission’s broader roadmap. The Commission’s REPowerEU materials say the bloc is working to eliminate remaining Russian gas imports and stop money from financing Russia’s war in Ukraine. ### How is the EU trying to make that break stick? The European Commission published a roadmap on May 6, 2025 to end Russian energy imports, and later moved to turn that plan into binding rules, according to legal and policy summaries tracking the measure. (euronews.com) Those summaries say the framework includes deadlines, authorization requirements and reporting obligations for importers. (energy.ec.europa.eu) The legal architecture is aimed at preventing a rebound in Russian supply if prices spike elsewhere. The Commission’s own guidance, updated on March 18, 2026, says the rules are designed to maximize flexibilities for prior authorization of non-Russian gas imports. ### What does this mean for Europe’s supply options? (jonesday.com) The EU has replaced much of its Russian supply with imports from other producers and with lower overall demand, according to Commission data and market trackers. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said the United States was on course to surpass Norway as the EU’s largest gas supplier in 2026. (energy.ec.europa.eu) That does not mean price pressure disappears. Dombrovskis made his comments as conflict in the Middle East fed concern over shipping routes and crude prices, but he said the answer would not be a return to Russian barrels or molecules. ### What comes next in the phaseout? (energy.ec.europa.eu) The European Commission says the remaining Russian gas imported into the EU each year will be removed from the market in less than two years, putting the next milestones in 2027. Policy trackers following the legislation also say the EU’s target is to end the last Russian oil imports by the end of 2027. (energy.ec.europa.eu) (euronews.com)