STOCKHOLM, January 26. /TASS/. The European Union has voluntarily chosen to subordinate itself to the United States to the detriment of its own interests by refusing to purchase Russian gas, said Armando Mema, a member of the Freedom Alliance party.
"The EU is playing to a US scenario, severing all ties with Russia, and thereby weakening its position. In this sense, the EU voluntarily chose to subordinate itself to the United States instead of being independent and protecting its own interests," Mema wrote on X.
The politician believes that Europe has made a strategic mistake and links the decision to abandon Russian gas supplies to the plan of the administration of American ex-President Joe Biden, under which Washington sought to make the EU dependent on the United States.
Earlier on Monday, the EU Council banned Russian gas supplies to the EU from 2027. Russian LNG will be prohibited from January 1, while pipeline gas from September 30. Brussels also imposed a fine for gas imports from Russia after the ban, which will amount to 300% of the transaction or 3.5% of annual turnover for a company, and at least 2.5 million euros for individuals.