European Commission says it has no plans to resume Russian gas imports

The European Commission has no plans to resume Russian gas imports, spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a briefing on Monday when asked about a possible US initiative as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Pinho pointed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s position that sanctions against Russia would not be lifted until Moscow stopped the war.

The New York Times previously reported, citing sources, that the US administration had discussed restoring large volumes of Russian gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. According to the newspaper, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised the idea in contacts with Ukrainian and European officials.

The Commission spokesperson stressed the importance of coordinated European and US sanctions action in bringing the war to an end.