Europe Weans Itself Off Russian Gas
Before the meeting, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of waging “an overt gas war” against “a united Europe” and urged leaders not to give in to Russian threats. Russian gas accounts for 40 percent of E.U. consumption, and gas is a leading source of energy for homes and businesses.

All of the E.U.’s 27 member states supported the move, except for Hungary, which voted against the agreement but couldn’t veto it. Some exemptions were given to Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, which have little flexibility to seek alternative energy sources, as well as to the Baltic States that have electricity grids connected to Russia’s.

The bloc’s gas storage tanks, usually almost full before winter, are currently at 66 percent capacity, according to the E.U.’s energy commissioner, Kadri Simson.

The stakes are particularly high for Germany, which relied on Russia to supply 55 percent of its natural gas before the invasion. It has cut that share to 30 percent over the past months but is scrambling to ensure that it will have sufficient fuel in storage to last the winter.