EU Commission chief calls €1.8 billion monthly energy payments to Russia "unacceptable" VIDEO

The European Union spends €1.8 billion per month on Russian energy resources, and this must stop, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

During a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she called the amount spent "unacceptable," Caliber.Az reports, citing von der Leyen's X page.

“The EU currently spends €1.8 billion a month on Russian energy resources. This is unacceptable and must come to an end,” von der Leyen declared, emphasising that “cutting off Russian gas is necessary to support Ukraine.”

Talking about a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, she said a peace agreement on the Ukrainian conflict should mark a turning point for the continent and bring a new security architecture to Europe.

According to her, the conflict in Ukraine will eventually come to an end, and the way it ends will shape our continent for generations to come.

Eighty years on, we stand at another decisive moment in the history of our continent.

The war in Ukraine will eventually come to a halt.

And the way it ends will shape our continent for generations to come ↓ https://t.co/aXfcq9w8Up

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 7, 2025

“A just and lasting peace can usher in a new era of prosperity for Ukraine and help us build a new security architecture in Europe. A just and lasting peace that guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty, respects its territorial integrity, and supports its European aspirations. We must do everything we can to strengthen Ukraine’s position,” von der Leyen said.

In her view, EU support for Kyiv should consist of military aid, a complete rejection of Russian fossil fuels, and an accelerated path to Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

To recall, the EU has set a target to end imports of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027 and plans to ban new contracts starting in 2025. This initiative aims to cut off funding for Russia's war efforts in Ukraine. 

However, legal challenges exist in terminating existing gas contracts due to "take-or-pay" clauses, which obligate payments even without gas delivery. Policymakers are considering restricting future Russian LNG purchases through an EU joint buying mechanism with capped volumes.

The EU says it has cut gas imports from 45% to 19%, and oil from 27% to 3%, of its prewar levels. But that still makes it Russia’s biggest gas client, with pipelines in operation across the Black Sea, Belarus, and Türkiye, according to the Energy and Clean Air think tank.

By Khagan Isayev