Estonian PM: EU spends over €30 billion on Russian energy imports per annum

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal argues that European nations need to strengthen their resilience to different types of crises.

European countries are still spending over €30 billion annually on energy supplies from Russia, Estonia's Prime Minister stated, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

At the European Political Community summit, the minister stated, "Europe must become more resilient to various crises, and energy issues are crucial in this regard, as we continue to spend more than €30 billion on Russian energy resources. This is not rational."

Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó remarked that Western nations have not fully stopped purchasing Russian energy, despite publicly claiming otherwise.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also pointed out that the EU's decision to halt Russian energy supplies had hindered the bloc's GDP (gross domestic product) growth.

While the EU has not legally banned the purchase of Russian gas (unlike oil and coal), financial sanctions imposed on Russia in the spring of 2022 made it impossible for EU countries to make payments in euros for Russian gas. The European Commission considered freezing payments for Russian gas in the same way as other Russian assets. In response, Moscow demanded payments in roubles, which most EU nations refused, resulting in Russia halting gas supplies to those who ceased payments.

Between 2021 and 2023, the EU significantly reduced its imports of Russian pipeline gas. However, imports of Russian LNG (liquefied natural gas) more than doubled, reaching 18 billion cubic meters in 2023.  

Additionally, according to European media, EU countries sharply increased their re-export of Russian pipeline gas through Türkiye.

Previously, Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy giant, has long been a dominant supplier of natural gas to Europe. Following the EU's gas market liberalisation, Gazprom expanded its presence by establishing subsidiaries and investing in energy infrastructure across Europe. However, Europe's reliance on Russian gas has raised security concerns, particularly following Russia's use of gas as a political tool.

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a significant breakdown in EU-Russia energy relations. The EU has since worked to reduce dependence on Russian energy, with plans to cut Russian gas imports by two-thirds in 2023 and phase them out by 2030. In 2022, Russian gas deliveries to the EU dropped drastically from 155 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2021 to about 60 BCM. In 2023, this is expected to fall further to around 25 BCM, marking a substantial shift in Europe's energy landscape.

By Khagan Isayev