New York [US], September 24 (ANI): European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a fast-tracked plan to end all Russian oil and gas imports to the European Union by the end of 2025, stressing the urgency of cutting off Moscow’s funding for its war in Ukraine.
Speaking alongside US President Donald Trump at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, von der Leyen outlined the EU’s progress in reducing its reliance on Russian energy and affirmed plans for further sanctions.
“President Trump is absolutely right. We’re on it. We have already massively reduced the gas supply from Russia. Completely got out of Russian coal and massively also reduced the oil supply, but there’s still some coming to the European continent,” von der Leyen said. “We put sanctions on those ports where, for example, LNG is coming from Russia. We want to put tariffs on oil supplies that are still coming to the European Union. After the last bits of oil and gas come from Russia to the European Union, we want to get rid of it.”
Addressing earlier commitments for 2027, von der Leyen said the EU now aims to act faster. “We want to be out earlier. Absolutely. Till the end of the year, we have the phasing out. We have now the sanctions on the table proposed. Member states have to agree. But we have to be faster because every payment is filling Putin’s watches. This cannot be,” she stressed.
Trump also criticised the UN’s ability to resolve global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, saying, “We shouldn’t have any wars if the UN’s really doing its job… The UN has fantastic potential… You can have a wonderful concept, but if you don’t have the (right) people… We (solved) all these wars, and we weren’t helped by the UN… They didn’t do anything, and they’re supposed to be solving these problems.”
At the UNGA’s high-level debate, Trump further accused the UN of exacerbating issues, claiming it was “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders” instead of stopping invasions. He warned of potential US sanctions if Russia refuses to end the war in Ukraine, saying, “In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs.”
Von der Leyen’s announcement signals a major acceleration in the EU’s energy independence strategy, reflecting the bloc’s determination to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. (ANI)
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