Ukraine’s allies warn Europe against returning to Russian gas as part of a peace deal
A chimney and pipes at the BKM Nonprofit Fotav Zrt power plant in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Ukraine’s closest allies have warned against the European Union reopening Russian gas pipelines as part of a potential peace settlement, with one Baltic nation describing the prospect as “not a good solution in any way.”
It comes shortly after the Financial Times reported that EU officials were considering whether to restore gas flows from Russia to Europe as part of a settlement to end the Kremlin’s years-long Ukraine war.
The report, which was published on Jan. 30 and cited unnamed sources familiar with discussions, said the idea had been endorsed by some EU officials as one way of lowering regional energy costs.
Estonia, a NATO member which shares a 294-kilometer (183 miles) border with Russia, is among those calling on the 27-nation bloc not to reopen Russian gas pipelines.
The Eastern European country said the EU must not allow itself to become dependent on Russian energy as part of a Ukraine peace settlement, noting that restoring gas flows would be inconsistent with the bloc’s goal of phasing out Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027.
“We have seen in history that Russia has used energy as a weapon. Russia has repeatedly demonstrated this — and so, going back is not a good solution in any way,” Kadri Elias-Hindoalla, director of Estonia’s foreign affairs’ sanctions and strategic goods department, told CNBC via video call.
In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state owned agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting regarding the situation in the Kursk region, in his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, on August 12, 2024.
Gavriil Grigorov | Afp | Getty Images
Europe should have learned its lesson when Russian forces invaded Georgia in 2008, Estonia’s Elias-Hindoalla said, adding that the Ukraine war has since reaffirmed the importance of finding alternative suppliers and improving the bloc’s energy independence.
“Our position is very clear: We should maximize sanctions and limit Russia’s energy imports as much as possible,” Elias-Hindoalla said.
The foreign ministries of Russia and Ukraine did not respond when contacted by CNBC for comment.
For its part, the European Commission said it is “not making any links” between the reopening of Russian gas and Ukraine peace talks. The European Commission is the EU’s executive arm.
“Whenever we have such talks, when that moment comes, it will be with Ukraine and we do not confirm any links reported in the article … about any links between the transit of gas through Ukraine and any peace talks,” EU spokesperson Paula Pinho said in a press briefing on Thursday.
The EU’s plan, Pinho said, remains to stick to the gradual phasing out of Russian gas. The bloc adopted a 15th package of sanctions against Russia late last year, seeking to further weaken Russia’s military and industrial capabilities.
‘One of the worst ideas in the history of the world’
Lithuania, which was occupied by the Soviet Union until 1990, has said that securing an end to the fighting in Ukraine must take place with Kyiv’s full involvement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underlined this message in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, warning it would be “very dangerous” to exclude Kyiv from talks between the U.S. and Russia about how to end the invasion.
Speaking during a virtual appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 23 that he would like to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon” to find a way to end the Ukraine war.
Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the prospect of peace through dependence on Russian gas was “demonstrably one of the worst ideas in the history of the world.”
“The suggestion to reinstate this disastrous policy is nothing more than spitting on the graves of its innocent victims,” Landsbergis said in social media post on Jan. 30.
Even in the event of an end to the Ukraine war, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has warned that his country’s geographical position could make it vulnerable to a broader conflict. The country of 2.8 million borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave to the west and Moscow’s ally of Belarus to the east.
Europe’s gas supply shift
Russian gas exports to Europe via Ukraine came to halt at the start of 2025, marking the end of Moscow’s decades-long dominance over the region’s energy markets.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy said at the time that the end of Russian gas transit through his country to Europe represented “one of Moscow’s biggest defeats” and called on the U.S. to supply more gas to the region.
Russia, meanwhile, warned that EU countries would likely suffer the most from the supply shift. Moscow is still able to send gas via the TurkStream pipeline, which links Russia with Hungary, Serbia and Turkey.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 21, 2025.
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images
Poland, a staunch Ukraine ally and another European country that shares a border with Russia’s Kaliningrad, has also urged EU countries not to reopen Russian gas flows.
“I can only hope that European leaders will learn lessons from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and that they will push through a decision to never restore the pumping of gas through this pipeline,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with the BBC last month.
His comments referred to the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which connects Russia and northern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Germany is about to become home to Europe’s largest battery storage system – a massive 1 gigawatt (GW) / 4 gigawatt-hour (GWh) project in Jänschwalde, Brandenburg.
LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH, a subsidiary of US-based Fluence Energy (NASDAQ: FLNC), are teaming up to build the “GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000.” The four-hour system will use Fluence’s Smartstack technology, its latest large-scale energy storage solution.
Once complete, Europe’s largest battery storage project will play a key role in stabilizing Germany’s grid and storing renewable power for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. It’s designed to deliver essential grid services, support energy trading, and boost energy security as the country phases out fossil fuels.
LEAG’s broader “GigawattFactory” plan combines solar and wind farms with flexible power plants and large-scale batteries across Germany’s Lusatian energy region. “By constructing gigascale storage facilities, we’re addressing one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition: ensuring constant power regardless of the availability of renewable energies,” said Adi Roesch, CEO of the LEAG Group.
Fluence CEO Julian Nebreda described the project as a “milestone for the energy future of Germany and Europe,” adding that it demonstrates how collaboration and cutting-edge technology can “transform the foundation of our economy and our everyday lives.”
The German government recently reaffirmed the importance of storage in building a secure and affordable clean power system. With this 4 GWh giant, LEAG and Fluence are implementing that priority in one of Europe’s most coal-heavy regions.
Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2
If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!
Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
![The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Genesis-GV90-ultra-luxury-SUV.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The GV90 will be the brand’s largest, most luxurious SUV yet. With its official debut coming up, a production version of the Genesis GV90 was spotted in public for the first time, offering a closer look at the stunning SUV.
The Genesis GV90 is a stunning flagship SUV
Genesis vehicles already have a unique design that’s hard to miss. The big Creste Grille, Two-Line Quad Lamps, and smooth character lines offer a refined, luxurious look, but Genesis is planning to take it to the next level with the GV90.
The GV90 is an “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV,” according to Genesis. It will be the luxury brand’s new flagship vehicle and first full-size electric SUV.
We got our first look at the flagship SUV last March after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the New York Auto Show.
The GV90 has been spotted out in public several times now, even flashing high-end features like coach doors and adaptive air suspension, but now, we are finally getting our first look at the production version in real life.
A new video from HealerTV shows the production version of the Genesis GV90 in action. Although it’s still covered in camo, you can see a few slight design changes from the concept shown last year.
The headlights and grille appear closer in design to its current vehicles, but other than that, the GV90 looks essentially the same up front as the Neolun concept.
Since it’s still covered, it’s hard to see where the headlights are connected at this point. From the side and rear, the GV90 looks identical to the concept.
Genesis has yet to announce an official launch date, but the GV90 could debut by the end of the year with sales expected to kick off in mid-2026.
The flagship SUV is rumoured to be the first vehicle to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which it claims will “provide 50% improvement in driving range” compared to its current EVs. It will also serve as a tech beacon, featuring Hyundai’s most advanced connectivity and safety tech.
We will learn official prices and final specs soon, but one thing is for sure: it won’t be cheap. The Genesis GV90 is expected to start at around $100,000, but higher trims could cost significantly more with added features and options.
Genesis is also introducing its first hybrid, the GV80, next year, followed by its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) based on the GV70. The EREV is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. There’s also an off-road SUV in the works, which will likely arrive as a 2027 model.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024