“Putin’s recent threat to halt gas supplies to the European Union confirms what Estonia and many like-minded countries have long argued: Russia is not a reliable energy supplier, as it is always ready to use countries’ energy dependence as a weapon against them. Therefore, the only right course for countries is to free themselves from dependence on Russian energy.
Putin is exploiting the uncertainty in energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East, but Europe has no supply security issues because we have diversified our supply chains. Many EU member states have taken decisive steps in recent years to reduce their reliance on Russian energy, and the EU has agreed to end imports of Russian fossil fuels completely by 2027 at the latest. Putin’s threats prove that the chosen strategy is the only correct one, and now we must use every opportunity to accelerate the phase-out of imports and continue diversifying supply chains to avoid falling back into dependence on Russian energy.
In light of this, the Hungarian foreign minister’s visit to Moscow yesterday to secure continued oil and gas supplies from Russia is a step in the wrong direction. All countries would benefit more from breaking free from Russian energy, and alternative supply routes remain fully accessible to Hungary as well.
It is also known that Russia largely uses revenue from energy sales to finance its war against Ukraine and to prepare for a long-term confrontation with Europe. It is wrong to continue buying Russian energy and thus financing activities that undermine our own security.”
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