The US says the EU may refuse Russian gas within 6-12 months

The European Union may completely abandon Russian gas within 6-12 months, replacing it with the American one. About said uS Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in a commentary to Reuters.

According to him, Washington offered European officials its gas as an alternative to Russian gas during a meeting in Brussels with European Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.

The EU is currently planning to legally enshrine a phased phase-out of oil and gas imports from Russia by January 2028. Also, starting next year, bans on short-term contracts with Russian suppliers should be in effect.

"I think it can easily be done within 12 months, maybe within six months," Wright emphasized.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has previously confirmed that Brussels is considering accelerating the abandonment of Russian energy carriers as part of new sanctions against Moscow.

However, the final decision requires the support of all 27 EU members. Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to import gas from Russia, are the most resistant. That is why the European Commission is proposing 2028 as a compromise date.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, its share of gas in EU supplies was about 45%. This year, it has dropped to about 13%.

• The EU is currently considering an initiative complete rejection of Russian oil and gas as part of the severance of energy relations with Russia due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.