Commissioner: EU's next package of Russia sanctions to target LNG imports

The EU is working on a proposal to limit imports of Russian liquified gas (LNG) as part of the upcoming 14th package of sanctions, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on May 6, as reported by European Pravda.

Despite Brussels' target to be free of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, several EU members remain heavily reliant on Russian gas, and imports of LNG from Russia reached record highs last year.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kyiv, Simson said there are currently no sanctions against Russian LNG, but EU energy ministers "made a decision and proposed a tool to limit the access of Russian liquefied natural gas to our energy terminals," European Pravda reports.

Simson also said the EU is preparing for a sudden end to the Russian pipeline gas supply when the transit contract between Ukraine and Moscow expires at the end of this year.

The EU knew that Russia was not a reliable supplier of gas, and all of its risk assessments were designed in such a way that in one moment, Europe could be without supplies of Russian gas, Simson said.

The European bloc has already adopted 13 sanction packages in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aiming to undermine Moscow's economic output and the ability to sustain the war.

EU leaders are expected to introduce a 14th round of sanctions in the coming months.

Read also: What’s happening with Russia’s assets frozen in the West?

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