Written by Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand and Esther Bollendorff, Senior Gas Policy Coordinator at CAN Europe
Three years after the invasion of Ukraine, unveiling Europe’s large-scale dependence on Russian gas and triggering an unprecedented energy crisis, the EU is still highly dependent on fossil gas.
This is driving high energy prices and rather than implementing structural changes, politicians seem to only know two solutions to this predicament: either buying more US liquefied natural gas (LNG) to ease Trump on tariffs or, performing a cynical U-turn and going back to buying Russian gas in exchange for peace in the region. In Europe, governments keep doubling down on costly LNG gas infrastructure overbuild that prolongs dependence rather than fostering resilience. But they forgot that gas addiction is an economic time bomb.
Gas was once marketed as a cheap and secure option, driving Europe’s stark reliance on Russian supply. It turned out to be neither. Today, LNG is being positioned as an alternative, but it carries the same financial and security risks as there is a close correlation between high electricity prices and volatile gas costs. What once got promoted by some as an “affordable bridge fuel” in the transition to cheaper clean energy has become synonymous with economic turmoil and geopolitical risk harming European industries and households with massive price increases. More and more companies are turning their back to dirty and costly fossil gas, recognising the benefits of clean energy, especially its affordability, which is expected to further reduce prices for consumers.
Ukraine’s Energy Transition: A Blueprint for Europe
The European Union’s continued reliance on Russian fossil fuels has not only limited the EU’s options to respond to the invasion of Ukraine but also continues to finance the Kremlin’s brutal war machine even now. Every shipment of Russian LNG entering European ports funnels critical revenue into Moscow’s pockets, undermining the EU’s values and security and funding Russian sabotage and murder on EU soils. Despite existing sanctions, Russian LNG imports to the EU soared to record levels in 2024 – an alarming 19.3% increase from the previous year. This dependency represents both a moral and strategic failure.
Amidst the devastation of war, Ukraine is charting a bold path in the energy transition, offering a blueprint for Europe’s future. Projects like DTEK’s Tyligulska Wind Power Plant and the “50 Solar Hospitals” campaign from the Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation demonstrate the resilience of decentralised renewable systems. In liberated regions, small-scale solar and wind installations are providing reliable, independent energy – proving that decentralised renewables are less vulnerable to attacks than traditional grids.
Ukraine’s experience underscores a vital lesson: old centralised energy systems are fragile in the face of conflict and other disruptions, such as the escalating impacts of climate disruption. The idea that Europe cannot function without Russian energy from fossil fuels is outdated. In 2024, nearly 47% of the EU’s electricity came from renewable sources. Europe should learn from Ukraine’s hard-earned insights to build an energy-secure, fossil-free future unshackled from autocratic regimes. Europe must overcome its addiction to dirty Russian fossil fuels with cheaper renewable energy sources. This transition strengthens energy security, according to both the IMF and the EU. It also drives economic savings and growth, job creation, and paves the way for a resilient and independent energy future. In fact, building a 100% renewables based energy system by 2040 could generate economic and social benefits worth €1 trillion by 2030.
LNG: A false solution
However, the EU has failed to learn lessons from its gas dependency. In the scramble to replace Russian pipeline gas, the EU turned to other suppliers. Norway and the United States became the two most important suppliers for the EU in 2023. The EU remains highly dependent on fossil gas imports, with 90% of its supply coming from outside the EU. Today the US is the largest LNG supplier to the EU, representing almost 50% of total LNG imports. Most of this is fracked gas, extracted through a process that is banned across much of Europe, irresponsibly shifting EU climate damage and pollution elsewhere. Importing more foreign LNG creates significant geopolitical and financial risks while deepening the climate crisis. Instead of energy security, it locks Europe into costly long-term dependence on volatile and risky global LNG markets controlled more by Qatar, Russia and the US, not the EU.
Beyond the immediate cost of gas imports, Europe’s massively subsidised and wasteful LNG infrastructure choices set it up for long-term economic pain. Since 2015, €50 billion has been allocated to fossil fuel assets through capacity markets, maintaining a financial support system for outdated energy sources. The EU continues to pour billions into yesterday’s fuels when renewables, like solar power, create jobs, drive down electricity prices across Europe, and contribute to the decline of fossil fuels.
The EU’s Crossroads: Dependence or Resilience?
The coming months will be a crucial test for the EU’s energy and economic strategy. The EU’s upcoming Roadmap to phase out Russian fossil fuels and the revision of the Security of Supply framework must reflect the reality that gas is a financial liability, not an asset. Renewables and energy savings are essential for economic resilience, peace, and long-term stability. Europe is at a turning point: it can either remain locked into fossil fuels, prolonging instability and fueling crises, or move towards a safe and prosperous future with affordable, clean energy solutions. The choice is clear, and action is needed now.
The article ” From Dependence to Resilience: Why the EU needs to stop importing LNG now, and pivot to renewables for energy security and prosperity” was first publishe at Energy Monitor. Read it here.
