The European Union will seek more gas from countries including the U.S. to replace Russian supplies, and expand renewable energy faster to cut its overall reliance on the fuel, the EU's energy commissioner has said.
The EU has pledged to quit Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While Russian pipeline gas deliveries have plunged, the EU increased its imports of Russian liquefied natural gas last year.
"Instead of using taxpayers' money, citizens' money, to pay for gas where the revenue goes into Putin's war chest, we need to make sure that we produce our own energy," EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said in a joint media interview, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Jorgensen said Brussels was preparing changes to permit rules to speed up building renewable energy. For industries and home heating where gas cannot be quickly replaced by electricity, he said the EU would step up efforts to source alternative supplies.
"And then it's my job to make sure that it is cheap and not Russian," he said.
"There will still be the need for gas, and there we will have to find other sources than Russia, and that can also mean bigger import from the U.S."
European benchmark gas prices rose to two-year highs last week.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned before taking office in January the EU would face trade tariffs unless it imported more oil and gas from the United States.
The European Commission does not directly purchase gas, but has drawn up plans to engage with LNG suppliers and consider investing in LNG export infrastructure abroad to try to secure more long-term contracts with stable prices, draft documents reported earlier this week by Reuters showed.
Under EU law, European gas contracts must end by 2049 to align with the bloc's climate change target for net zero emissions by 2050.
Jorgensen declined to comment on the leaked draft documents, which the Commission is expected to publish next week.
But he confirmed the Commission was working on stricter controls of the gas market to avoid speculative trading causing price spikes, and would propose "financial instruments" next week designed to decouple retail power prices from high gas prices.
The EU's electricity market rules mean that, despite Europe's rapid expansion of renewable energy, the price of gas continues to set the power price many European consumers pay.
EU’s increasing focus on connectivity — not only within the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region but extending towards Central Asia and Türkiye was a key message throughout the Business Forum held in Warsaw under the Polish EU Council Presidency.
The European Union is drafting its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, to be discussed at a foreign ministers' meeting in May, according to the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The European Council decided on Monday to impose restrictive measures on an additional seven individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran, including for the use of the judiciary as a tool for arbitrary detention.
To facilitate Ukraine's access to global markets by ensuring smoother transit through EU countries, the EU and Ukraine have extended their Road Transport Agreement until December 31, 2025.
A new business partnership between the European Union and Ukraine has been launched in Brussels where the EU-Ukraine Business Summit took place from April 10 to 11.
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 has struck Türkiye, with its epicenter located in the Silivri district of Istanbul, according to the country’s disaster management agency, AFAD.
On April 23, a ceremony for the signing of documents between Azerbaijan and China was held in Beijing, with the participation of Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China.
Beijing has criticized Washington's pressure tactics, warning that threats and coercion are not conducive to resolving trade tensions between the two countries.
The “Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China” was signed in Beijing on April 23 during the state visit of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to China.
Kyrgyz and Azerbaijani cultural ministers signed a 2025–2026 roadmap to deepen bilateral cooperation during a meeting in Bishkek.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Pope Francis's relationship with Azerbaijan has evolved significantly over the years, characterized by diplomatic exchanges, promotion of religious tolerance, and peace advocacy in the Caucasus region.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
China has rolled out the world’s first 10-gigabit (10G) fixed broadband network in Xiong'an New Area, promising ultra-fast speeds and low latency through cutting-edge optical infrastructure.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope and a transformative figure in the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed in a video statement on Monday.
The global economy, already fragile, now faces a new shock—this time from the United States. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff wave has dragged average U.S. duties to levels unseen in over a century. The trade war with China is escalating fast.
Sam Altman has stepped down as chair of nuclear start-up Oklo, citing a potential conflict of interest ahead of talks with OpenAI over a future energy supply deal. The move comes as the pressure mounts to power artificial intelligence with stable, low-carbon energy sources.
Toyota has signed a $2 billion deal to build a wholly-owned electric vehicle plant in Shanghai, as the Japanese automaker strengthens its position in China’s growing EV market during heightened US-China trade tensions.
The IMF has lowered global and U.S. economic growth forecasts, citing Trump-era tariffs and rising uncertainty. Global growth is expected at 2.8% this year, while U.S. growth may slow to 1.8%, with heightened recession and inflation risks.
The 18th meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between Iran and Russia is scheduled to take place in Moscow from April 23 to 25. The event aims to strengthen bilateral collaboration across a wide range of sectors.
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 has struck Türkiye, with its epicenter located in the Silivri district of Istanbul, according to the country’s disaster management agency, AFAD.
On April 23, a ceremony for the signing of documents between Azerbaijan and China was held in Beijing, with the participation of Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China.
Beijing has criticized Washington's pressure tactics, warning that threats and coercion are not conducive to resolving trade tensions between the two countries.
The “Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China” was signed in Beijing on April 23 during the state visit of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to China.
Kyrgyz and Azerbaijani cultural ministers signed a 2025–2026 roadmap to deepen bilateral cooperation during a meeting in Bishkek.
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