**EU Should Cut Russian Energy Imports**
The President of Estonia, Alar Karis, said on February 9 that the European Union should stop buying energy from Russia. He also suggested a complete trade ban on Russia.
This comes after Estonia and its neighbors, Latvia and Lithuania, disconnected themselves from Russia’s power grid. This is a major change for these countries, which are now more connected to Europe than to Russia.
Karis wants the EU to be even more independent of Russian energy. He says they should stop all imports of Russian energy products into the EU. He also thinks the EU should consider a full trade embargo on Russia.
The European Union has already taken steps to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. They have stopped importing coal and most oil from Russia. Over two-thirds of Russian gas imports to the EU have also been cut. The EU plans to eliminate all Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
Energy exports from Russia help fund their war in Ukraine. This is why many countries, including Estonia, are calling for a complete phase-out of Russian energy purchases.
Estonia has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since the start of the war. They have provided humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine and pushed for harsher sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine itself imposed a full trade embargo on Russia in April 2022.
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