The European Commission has rejected a US proposal to resume Russian gas purchases as part of Ukrainian settlement discussions and reaffirmed its intent not to lift any sanctions against Russia until the conflict is fully resolved, Commission Spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a briefing in Brussels.
"Our position remains unchanged. [European Commission] President Ursula von der Leyen has previously expressly stated that she will not cancel a single restriction against Russia until the war is completely over," Pinho said when answering journalists' questions regarding the US proposal to resume Russian gas purchases as part of the peaceful settlement process in Ukraine.
The EU summit on October 15-16 "expressed disappointment" with the US decision to soften restrictions against Russia and begin purchasing Russian diesel fuel, the spokesperson noted. The European Commission continues to believe in the necessity of "coordinated sanctions" against Russia by both the EU and the US, which could supposedly "force Russia" to agree to a cessation of hostilities on Kiev's terms, she added.
The European Commission repeatedly said earlier that the complete and indefinite ban on EU countries purchasing Russian gas, which is set to take effect in Europe from 2027, "is not part of the sanctions policy" and will remain in place even in the unlikely event that European restrictions against Russia are lifted.
