OREANDA-NEWS  Europe's abandonment of Russian gas will accelerate the loss of its economic potential. This development was predicted by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, RIA Novosti reported.

The press secretary of the Russian president reacted to the statement by the head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen, who called the abandonment of carbon resources from Russia the dawn of a new era of energy independence of the European Union.

"We are completely abandoning Russian gas," she said.

According to Peskov, abandoning Russian energy resources does not mean independence, but the loss of the leading potential of the EU economy. By doing so, Europe is condemning itself to purchasing more expensive alternatives, which will inevitably have consequences and lead to a decrease in the competitiveness of a number of states.

Earlier it was reported that Europe has increased purchases of Russian gas despite plans to abandon it. In 2025, the total volume of Russian gas supplies to Europe via the Turkish Stream pipeline increased by 7.8 percent compared to last year.

Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, who currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, Lars Ohard, said that the decision to abandon fuel from the Russian Federation is a great victory for the region and an important step towards independence from Moscow.