(MENAFN) new proposal to fully phase out Russian oil and gas imports within two years.

The plan, unveiled by EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen and backed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, includes a ban on new gas contracts with Russia and outlines steps to stop Russian oil imports by 2027.

Dmitriev criticized the initiative on social media, writing that EU bureaucrats appear “obsessed” with weakening Europe’s economic position. “Mission accomplished or still in progress?” he quipped.

His comments echoed concerns raised by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who called the proposal a serious breach of Hungary’s sovereignty. He warned that it threatens to dismantle the country’s affordable and secure energy supply.

The proposed legislation aims to use EU trade laws to bypass vetoes from member states such as Hungary and Slovakia.

Since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, EU energy prices have surged due to sanctions-related disruptions. Jorgensen argued that the new phaseout is necessary because “Russia has weaponized energy” – not just in relation to Ukraine.

Moscow has dismissed the sanctions as illegitimate and counterproductive, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has made lifting them a condition for resolving the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin maintains that Russia has always been a dependable energy supplier.

While Russian pipeline gas exports to the EU have plummeted – from over 40% in 2021 to just 11% in 2024 – liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments have increased. Russian LNG accounted for 17.5% of EU supply last year, second only to the US. France, Spain, and Belgium received 85% of these LNG imports, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

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