**EU Denies Link Between Russian Gas and Peace Talks**
The European Union has rejected the idea that restarting Russian gas purchases is connected to peace talks over the war in Ukraine. This was stated by European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho on January 30.
Some EU officials have been discussing resuming Russian pipeline gas purchases as part of a potential settlement of Russia‘s war in Ukraine. However, this proposal has not been officially confirmed.
Pinho said that the EU is not making any links between peace talks and gas purchases at this time. She also stated that when peace talks do take place, they will be with Ukraine.
**Russian Gas was 40% of EU Purchases**
Before the full-scale war, Russian pipeline gas represented about 40% of the EU’s overall gas purchases. Germany was the main buyer of Russian gas.
The European Commission aims to eliminate Russian fossil fuels from the EU’s energy market by 2027. Despite this goal, European countries have been buying more Russia’s liquified natural gas (LNG) in 2024.
**Ukraine Stopped Russian Gas Transit**
In January 1, Ukraine ended its contract to transport Russian gas through its territory. This has led to higher gas prices in Europe, with prices rising by 4.3% to almost 51 euros per megawatt-hour.
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