Poland urges EU to completely stop importing Russian oil by end of 2026
Photo: Polish Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka (flickr.com/photos)
Poland has urged EU countries to stop importing Russian oil by the end of 2026 to cut funding for Russia’s military machine and help Ukraine end the war, states Polish Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka, according to The Guardian.
In a letter sent to other EU energy ministers shortly after the arrival of Russian drones in Poland, Motyka wrote that "the current international circumstances, combined with the need to strengthen the resilience of European economies, require a common response."
He said that committing to the 2026 deadline will "establish a clear timeline, and demonstrate our resolve to achieve independence from oil supplies burdened with political and strategic risks."
Poland also called for "coordinated … compensatory mechanisms" to help provide alternatives to Russian energy resources for the countries that need them most.
Motyka’s letter on a complete withdrawal from Russian energy came a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she proposes to accelerate the gradual phase-out of fuel imports from Russia. Her statement followed a conversation with US President Donald Trump.
EU phase-out of Russian oil and gas
The Druzhba pipeline still supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to purchase energy from Russia, even though other EU countries have stopped doing so following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Previously, the bloc had planned to end purchases of Russian oil and gas by 2028.
However, reports indicated that the EU is unlikely to completely phase out Russian oil and gas even by 2027. There is also information that the bloc will not legally enforce a ban on oil imports from Russia.
Trump has repeatedly urged EU and NATO countries to stop buying oil from Russia. Against this backdrop, media outlets have speculated about a hidden motive behind the US president’s demands — to redirect the market toward American energy resources.
Recently, the US has indeed been signing agreements with EU countries for energy supplies — for example, Italy recently agreed to import gas from the US.
