Ten EU countries have called for a ban on the import of Russian gas.

A group of 10 European Union countries is calling for increased sanctions pressure on Russia, suggesting the introduction of additional restrictions on natural gas and enhanced monitoring of compliance with the oil price cap. This was reported by Bloomberg.

The initiative has the support of Sweden, Ireland, Poland, and three Baltic states. They propose a ban on the import of Russian natural gas, including pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG), to reduce financial inflows into the Russian budget.

Despite the EU's ban on importing Russian oil, the dependence of some countries on gas from Russia remains a barrier to expanding sanctions in this area.

The adoption of any new restrictions requires unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states, which is complicated by the position of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is skeptical about such measures.

"The goal should be to completely halt the import of Russian gas and LNG as soon as possible," the document, also signed by Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Romania, states.

An alternative option involves a phased reduction in the consumption of Russian gas and LNG, which is already included in the RePowerEU initiative.

The European Commission plans to present a detailed plan for gradually phasing out Russian energy in the coming month. However, increasing concern in Europe is driven by rising gas prices due to cold weather and new U.S. sanctions against the Russian energy sector.

Despite the EU's efforts to diversify energy supplies, since the beginning of the war, expenditures on imports of oil, gas, and coal from Russia have exceeded €200 billion ($204 billion). This figure is mentioned in a document circulated by the initiating countries among other EU members ahead of discussions on a new sanctions package.