European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a joint commitment with US President Donald Trump to swiftly limit the Russian Federation’s revenues from fossil fuel exports. This issue was discussed during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
This is reported by Kyiv24
New EU Sanctions and Ban on Russian LNG Imports
According to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union has already implemented its 19th sanctions package, which aims to increase pressure on Russia. In particular, this includes a ban on the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to EU markets, as well as restrictions related to refineries, traders, and companies located in third countries that are connected to Russian oil.
“We discussed Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine. We agreed on the necessity to rapidly reduce Russia’s revenues from fossil fuels. This is exactly what Europe is doing by implementing the 19th sanctions package. We are increasing pressure by banning the import of Russian LNG to European markets and targeting refineries, oil traders, and oil processing plants in third countries,” she wrote on social media platform X after her meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
She emphasized that the European Union plans to completely phase out the use of Russian energy resources by 2027.
US Position and Reaction to Kremlin Actions
Ursula von der Leyen specifically noted that the parties discussed provocations from the Kremlin, including regular violations of European airspace by Russian aviation, which are seen as attempts to test Europe’s readiness to respond to such incidents.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly session, Donald Trump once again urged European Union countries to stop importing oil and gas from Russia. He stated that if Russia does not demonstrate a willingness to negotiate an end to the war, the US is prepared to impose strict tariffs on Russian energy resources. However, he emphasized that the effectiveness of such a step is only possible if European states join these restrictions, as they are in close proximity to the conflict zone.
Currently, Slovakia and Hungary remain the largest importers of Russian oil among EU countries. Both countries receive oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine.
According to data from the Finnish Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), from the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 to 2024, the supply of Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia has generated revenues of 5.4 billion euros for the Kremlin. This corresponds to the cost of 1,800 Iskander-M ballistic missiles.