In a recent development, Italy has expressed its support for the European Union's proposed 14th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italy's Minister of Energy, confirmed the country's stance, highlighting Italy's decreased dependency on Russian gas.
During a statement reported by Politico on Sunday, April 28, Minister Pichetto Fratin detailed Italy's position on the matter. "Italy is now in such a position that it can even do without Russian gas entirely," he said. This marks a significant shift from 2022, when Italy was one of the countries most dependent on Russian gas following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Italy has been notably adept at diversifying its gas supplies, which has included constructing a pipeline from Algeria and increasing its LNG import capacity. According to official data, Russian gas imports last year accounted for less than 5% of Italy’s total gas imports, a substantial decrease from 43% in 2020.
Minister Pichetto Fratin emphasized that Italy has diversified its supplies enough to be confident about its energy security. "Italy has no reason to oppose the process of new sanctions," he noted, aligning Italy’s stance with that of other EU countries pushing for further restrictions on Russian energy imports.
Furthermore, on April 24, Robert Habeck, Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs, also stated that his country no longer needs Russian LNG and supported the proposed sanctions against Russian energy products.
This united front in Europe against the import of Russian LNG is part of broader efforts to reduce dependency on Russian energy resources, reflecting a significant geopolitical shift in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
