Any new deal to keep Russian gas flowing to the European Union through Ukraine would be a “dangerous”choice, the bloc’s energy chief, Kadri Simson, claimed on Tuesday.
EU countries are well prepared for a winter without Russian gas, the energy commissioner said at a news conference following a meeting of the bloc’s energy ministers in Luxembourg.
The comments also come as a key gas transit agreement between Moscow and Kiev is due to expire at the end of the year.
“There are no excuses, the EU can live without this Russian gas,” Simson said, as quoted by Bloomberg. “This is a political choice, and a dangerous one.” The European Commission is fully prepared for a zero-transit scenario thanks to alternative supply routes and strong levels of storage, Simson claimed.