A senior U.S. Department of Energy official has called on European nations to cease imports of Russian oil and gas entirely, rather than shifting to alternative fossil fuel supplies. The official emphasized that such a move would bring economic advantages to Europe while cutting off financial support for Russia’s military operations.
According to the official, halting purchases of Russian energy would weaken Moscow’s capacity to fund its armed forces, potentially hastening an end to the ongoing conflict. Recent data shows that Russian gas accounted for approximately 14% of the European Union’s fossil fuel imports in 2024—a sharp decline from the nearly 40% share recorded at the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022.
While Brussels has set a 2028 target to phase out Russian energy, the plan faces opposition from several member states, including Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to rely on Russian gas supplies.
