Story perspectives

EU Bans Russian Gas Amid Ukraine Peace Deal Pressure

1/26/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas as incompetent, saying Moscow and Washington would not engage her.
Following Abu Dhabi trilateral talks, Ukraine ruled out concessions to Russia.
EU approved a ban on Russian gas by 2027, despite objections from Hungary and Slovakia.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a peace deal, saying EU support is unacknowledged.

History

Historical Context

In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union approved a ban on Russian gas to reduce dependency, following the 2014 annexation of Crimea that strained EU-Russia relations. By 2022, Russia supplied 45% of the EU's gas imports, prompting the EU to aim for a two-thirds reduction in Russian gas imports within a year, reshaping Europe's energy landscape.

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Story summary

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas as incompetent, saying Moscow and Washington would not engage her.
Following Abu Dhabi trilateral talks, Ukraine ruled out concessions to Russia.
EU approved a ban on Russian gas by 2027, despite objections from Hungary and Slovakia.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a peace deal, saying EU support is unacknowledged.

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