von der Leyen: Accelerate the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels

European Commission President von der Leyen stated in her "State of the Union" speech on Wednesday that as part of new sanctions against Moscow, the EU is considering accelerating the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels and focusing on the shadow fleet and sanctions against third countries.

In her "State of the Union" speech on Wednesday, September 10, delivered to the European Parliament, von der Leyen mentioned that the EU particularly focuses on accelerating the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels, the shadow fleet, and sanctions against third countries. This will be part of the EU's 19th round of sanctions against Russia currently being developed.

EU officials are currently discussing with the Trump administration in Washington on coordinating new sanctions against Russia. A White House official said that Trump told European leaders last week that Europe should stop buying oil from Russia. Trump also urged the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China and India to pressure Moscow. The official pointed out that Russia earns about 1.1 billion euros a year from selling fuel to the EU.

According to EU statistics, Hungary and Slovakia import about 200,000 to 250,000 barrels of Russian oil per day, equivalent to about 3% of the EU's oil demand. These two countries oppose the EU's plan to gradually phase out Russian fossil fuels, saying it would push up energy prices. However, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen recently said that they are discussing the concerns of the two countries, and if necessary, EU member states can approve the phase-out plan without them.

The EU still purchases a large amount of gas from Russia. According to EU data, it is expected that this year, Europe will buy about 13% of its total gas imports from Russia. This number is far lower than about 45% before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The EU is currently negotiating legal proposals to completely stop importing Russian oil and gas by January 1, 2028, and to first stop new purchases and short-term contracts starting next year. The resulting gap may be partially filled by importing from the United States. In August this year, the US and EU reached a historic trade agreement. The EU committed to purchasing $75 billion worth of American energy products, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, and nuclear fuel. In 2024, the EU purchased $76 billion worth of energy from the United States.

Expanding Sanctions against Third-Country Companies

According to Reuters, an unnamed EU official said that the EU Commission is considering adding some independent Chinese refineries to its 19th round of sanctions against Russia. The EU Commission may propose this new sanction package as early as Friday. Since this summer, the EU has been monitoring some Chinese refineries to see if they have purchased Russian oil from the sanctioned "shadow fleet."

The source also revealed that the EU is expanding the scope of third-country companies included in the sanctions list, from small, little-known shell companies that export dual-use products to Moscow to well-known entities that help Russia circumvent Western restrictions. In the 18th round of sanctions, the EU added two Chinese banks and a large Nayaara Energy refinery in Wadi Nar, India, to the list.

Sources: DW, translated from Reuters

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842896533118985/

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