The European Union would welcome the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump for its plan to halt purchases of Russian oil, which continue to help finance Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen told Reuters on Friday (September 5).
Brussels is currently working on legal proposals to end all EU imports of Russian oil and gas by 1 January 2028, aiming to cut decades-old dependence on Moscow’s energy supplies.
According to a White House official, President Trump told European leaders in a call on Thursday (September 4) that Europe must stop buying Russian oil, as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict drag on.
Jorgensen, who oversees EU energy policy, said Washington had not pressured the bloc to accelerate the timetable beyond 2028 but stressed that support from the U.S. would be welcome. Reuters has requested comment from the Kremlin on Trump’s reported remarks.
The United States has already imposed punitive tariffs on India for continuing to purchase Russian oil, while New Delhi has accused Western nations of hypocrisy.
EU figures show Europe’s reliance on Russian gas is expected to fall to about 13% of its supply this year, compared with around 45% before Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Hungary and Slovakia, however, continue to receive Russian crude through the Druzhba pipeline and have opposed the phase-out, arguing it would push up energy prices. Jorgensen confirmed talks were underway with both governments but noted that, if necessary, EU states could approve the phase-out plan without them. He declined to say whether Brussels would consider financial support or legal guarantees to win their backing.
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U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
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Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told reporters on Saturday that there is no plan underway to force Palestinians out of Gaza, following Israel's government proposal on relocation plans for people in Gaza.
A Chinese national was pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, authorities said, 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving more than 5,600 missing.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
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