(Kyiv) A third of the gas exported from Russia to the European Union risks being lost due to the war in Ukraine, Yuri Vitrenko, CEO of the Ukrainian public group Naftogaz, said on Saturday.
Posted at 1:08 p.m.
While some European Union states are highly dependent on Moscow for energy, the 27 have set themselves the goal of reducing their imports of Russian gas by two thirds by the end of the year to sanction Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
The EU, the main outlet for Russian hydrocarbons which provide significant income to Moscow, decided in early April to stop its coal purchases in August, but has not yet decided on an embargo on gas and oil.
“We estimate that a third of the gas exported from Russia to the European Union through Ukraine will be lost if the (Russian) occupying forces do not stop disrupting the operation of stations in the recently occupied territories,” he said. writes Mr. Vitrenko on Twitter.
Since the start of the offensive on February 24, Russian troops have notably taken control of parts of Ukrainian territory in the south of the country. They are also continuing their offensive in the east, where they have made Donbass, formed from the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, a priority war objective.
Kyiv is calling for a halt to imports of Russian hydrocarbons, but European countries, including Germany, are warning of the violent recession that such an embargo would cause.
Visiting Kyiv on Thursday, European Council President Charles Michel assured that sanctions would soon target Russian oil and gas exports, as demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Again on Thursday, Italy, one of Europe’s biggest gas consumers, announced that it would “soon” stop buying Russian gas “for ethical reasons”.