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Comment by Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on the European Commission's proposal to end Russian energy imports by 2027

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

06.05.2025

Today 6 May, the European Commission published the RePowerEU Roadmap, which aims to end imports of Russian energy carriers into the European Union by 2027. The Commission's proposal sends a clear message: the aggressor state has no business on the European Union's energy markets.

We commend the European Commission for its Roadmap, as moving away from Russian energy imports will not only help to strengthen the European Union's energy security and reduce dependencies, but will also prevent Russia from influencing energy prices in Europe and thereby harming our economy.

Revenues from energy exports, which account for nearly a third of Russia's state budget, are used both to feed the war machine in Ukraine and to finance the military for a long-term confrontation with the West. Russia has also repeatedly manipulated energy prices in an attempt to create divisions between Western countries. The RePowerEU initiative is an important step towards ending Russian fossil fuel imports altogether. In addition to contributing the European Union's climate goals, it is also a clear and decisive condemnation of the actions of the aggressor state. Estonia is now looking forward to the implementation of the proposals of the action plan.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Estonia has called on like-minded countries to stop importing Russian energy as quickly as possible. Immediately after the start of the war of aggression in Ukraine, Estonia stopped buying Russian gas, and as of January 2023, the import of Russian gas into Estonia is prohibited by a national sanction. With the synchronisation of electricity grids completed in February this year, Estonia's dependence on Russian energy carriers came to an end.

The European Union has taken forceful action in recent years to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. Whereas in 2021, the share of Russia's gas in the EU's imports stood at 45%, it has fallen to 13% today. Moreover, sanctions have put an end to imports of Russian coal and crude oil and petroleum products. However, despite the full-scale war in Ukraine, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia to the EU have increased over the last few years.

The RePowerEU Roadmap includes a wide range of measures on gas, oil and nuclear energy. Additionally, the Roadmap proposes banning Russian gas deliveries under existing short-term gas purchase agreements and prohibiting the signing of new contracts, including a ban on long-term gas purchase agreements. The action plan also restricts the import of Russian nuclear fuel by implementing trade policy measures. It also outlines how member states should address the activities of the shadow fleet. The European Commission will present legislative proposals in June this year, after which negotiations between member states will start.