The Kremlin warns that Europe's shift away from Russian gas could accelerate its economic decline.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups:

The Kremlin warned that the European Union's shift to more expensive energy sources instead of relying on Russian gas could accelerate the loss of the European economy's leadership potential and weaken its competitiveness. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in response to a statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Europe will no longer rely on Russian gas, said: "In this way, Europe is condemning itself to buying much more expensive energy sources, which will inevitably lead to negative consequences for its economy and weaken its competitiveness. This process of declining leadership potential of the European economy has already begun to become apparent in recent years." In a related context, EU lawmakers reached an agreement to gradually ban imports of Russian gas via pipelines and liquefied natural gas, while granting existing contracts a transitional period. Short-term contracts signed before June 17, 2025, will be subject to a ban on importing Russian gas starting April 25, 2026, for liquefied natural gas, and from June 17, 2026, for gas via pipelines. The ban on long-term contracts for Russian liquefied natural gas will begin on January 1, 2027, and on gas via pipelines from September 30, 2027, provided that storage filling targets are achieved in accordance with regulations, and no later than November 1, 2027.