OREANDA-NEWS After the Council of the European Union (EU) decided to phase out any purchases of Russian gas, Serbia found itself in an almost hopeless situation. This was stated by the Minister of Mining and Energy of this Eastern European country Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic. She was quoted by TASS.

As the minister stressed, the situation of her country turned out to be extremely difficult, since from January 1, 2026, Bulgaria will not allow the passage of Russian gas through the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, which will also affect Serbia. According to Djedovic-Handanovic, Belgrade is suffering, although it is not to blame for anything and does not participate in any conflicts.

The Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabic, was even more categorical. She called the decision of the EU Council catastrophic and admitted that she did not see a way out of the current situation in the energy sector.

Prior to this, the decision of the EU Council was criticized by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. He said that such steps would have serious consequences for his country's economy, as it would lose almost all the gas needed to supply local businesses and citizens.