European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson (pictured) insisted on Tuesday that the European Union is ready for the end of the contract on transporting Russian gas through Ukraine, which expires soon, and that she does not expect the bloc to experience a deficit in the commodity as the reserves are 95% full.
Speaking to the media after the meeting with national ministers of the relevant field in Luxembourg, held ahead of the EU summit on October 17 and 18, Simson warned the bloc's members there is "no excuse" to continue to obtain gas from Russia amid the latter's military campaign in Ukraine. She described some countries' reluctance to do so as a "political choice," not a "necessity."
The transit of Russian gas via the Druzhba pipeline should expire on January 1, 2025.
