Vilnius says it will push the EU to end Russian oil imports, hinting at a 2027 timeline tied to its Council presidency.
As noted by Lithuania’s Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vačiūnas in an interview with Ukrinform.
Lithuania, leading the European Council, expressed readiness to support adoption of a decision that fully bans imports of Russian oil as part of strengthening sanctions against Moscow.
Such a position was stated by Lithuania’s Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas in an interview.
“If we speak about a long-term strategy, Europe must not import oil from Russia. This is a key decision made for the gas sector in a relatively short period of time… The European Commission is preparing a draft regulation to stop the import of Russian oil, on which Lithuania is ready to work intensively. You will see it, perhaps before our presidency or during it, that is, starting January 1, 2027. We are ready to deliver a European decision to stop oil imports from the Russian Federation,” said the minister.
– Žygimantas Vaičiūnas
He also noted that Lithuania was the first EU country to halt gas imports in 2022, right after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Context and Next Steps
On April 23, the Council of the European Union adopted the 20th package of sanctions, which covers 36 measures in the extractive and processing sectors of Russia’s energy chain, including exploration, extraction, processing, and transportation of oil.
The package targets new market participants that have recently increased their share on export markets.