Sergei Tsekov Casts Doubt on the Notion that Europe Can Do Without Russian Gas
The Crimea representative in the Federation Council and a member of its international committee, Sergei Tsekov, called the assertion that European nations can get by without Russian natural gas ridiculous. He spoke on this to RIA News, challenging the premise that the EU could function without supplies from Russia.
Earlier, Kadri Simson, the European Commission’s energy commissioner, stated that the EU showed little interest in renewing the transit agreement for Russian gas through Ukraine once the existing deal expires in 2024. She argued that Europe has already learned to live without Russian gas and has diversified its energy sources accordingly.
Tsekov responded to those remarks by dismissing them as nonsense and inverted thinking. He described the politicians as disagreeing with reality and driven by hostility, which, in his view, leads to paradoxical statements that confuse the issue rather than clarify it.
He further suggested that the European Union has effectively learned to live without energy supplied from Russia, pointing to a broader shift in attitudes toward energy dependency and political risk.
Meanwhile, media outlets citing Ukrainian government officials have indicated that Ukraine has no plans to renew the transit arrangement for Russian gas to Europe after 2024. Any continued transit would depend on leasing capacity within Ukraine’s gas transportation system following the expiry of the current contract.
Earlier reports noted that Russia’s revenues from oil and natural gas had declined by about a quarter due to sanctions and other market pressures, underscoring the financial impact of geopolitical tensions on energy trade.