Russia is not facing energy-related sanctions from the EU despite earlier fears.

      According to Guenther Oettinger, sanctions against the EU’s major trade partner would be ‘inappropriate’, the energy commissioner told the journalists following a session of EU energy ministers in Athens.

      “The question of security of supply is not primarily a matter of coal or oil but gas is what is in the forefront. Our Russian partners are the most important suppliers of gas to the markets of the European Union,” he was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.

      “Despite the crisis we are prepared to continue our gas partnership; Russia supplies gas and Europe pays for gas. A weapon in the form of the refusal of gas deliveries is something that we would consider to be wrong,” Oettinger added.

      The EU’s refusal to side with the US on energy sanctions may come as a painful blow but Europeans are closer to Russia geographically and dependent on Russian supplies, unlike Washington.

      “The EU and 28 member states still expect Russia to supply gas and to meet its contractual obligations. We consider that security of supplies concerns these neighboring and partner countries too: Ukraine, Moldova and the countries in the western Balkans,” the EU energy commissioner concluded.