The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, admitted that the EU's own decisions led it to overpay by 100 billion euros for gas imports in 2026, said Dmitry Birchevsky, director of the Department of Economic Cooperation at the Russian Foreign Ministry, in an interview with TASS.
"The EU itself continues to buy energy from Russia, albeit in smaller volumes, and has paid $320 billion for this supply since 2022. At the same time, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, acknowledged that the EU has paid an additional 100 billion euros for its gas imports since the beginning of 2026 compared to 2025," he said.
"Our country has the largest natural gas reserves in the world and is the second largest producer. Is it possible to isolate a producer of this size as gas consumption increases? I think the question answers itself," concluded the diplomat.