According to the Green Minister, a European approach is needed that provides a solid legal basis for the companies concerned to be able to terminate their contracts with Russian suppliers early. Very often, these are long-term contracts concluded well before the start of European sanctions against Russia, and it currently seems too complicated to break these contracts without venturing into the unknown on a legal level.
“There is Russian gas coming into Belgium. I have turned over every stone and the gas legislation does not help. We need a European approach,” says Tinne Van der Straeten. Dutch Minister Sophie Hermans, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Climate, echoes the same sentiment. According to her, European sanctions are needed, designed to allow companies to break existing contracts. Without this, it will be difficult to limit the import and consumption of Russian LNG on European soil.
But the whole point of European sanctions is to dry up the sources of funding for the Russian war effort. And in recent months, European imports of LNG from Russia have been on the rise again.
