Russia–European Union relations

Europe is heading into its coldest winter since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, with temperatures expected to stay below the levels seen in the past two years, according to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This shift is likely to drive heating demand to its highest level since Russia's invasion, with further pressure on energy supplies.

A recent energy market study reveals that, for the first time in nearly two years, the European Union imported more natural gas from Russia than from the United States during a single quarter, DPA reported.

Türkiye now has the infrastructure to receive natural gas beyond its domestic needs, positioning the country to emerge as a regional energy hub, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has announced.

Poland and the Baltic states urged the European Union this week to strengthen its eastern border, warning in a joint letter to Brussels of a "looming threat" from Russia and Belarus.

The four EU members are staunch allies of Ukraine, which has been fighting a fully-fledged Russian invasion for more than two years.

EU leaders on Wednesday weighed a response to suspicions of Russian meddling ahead of June elections in the bloc, with several states pushing for sanctions targeting "malign activities" by Moscow.

Brussels has issued escalating warnings about Russia sowing disinformation ahead of the polls, and seeking to weaken Western support for Ukraine as it fights off Moscow's invasion.

During a forum in Alexandroupolis, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy, Jeffrey Payatt, highlighted the significance of a gas pipeline project through Bulgaria as the next pivotal step for energy development in the region.

"Of course, this is another step towards the escalation of tensions, our Belarusian friends know what to do, they are doing everything necessary in this situation to ensure security," said Peskov, commenting on the statement by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak that he would send to the east of the country new tank battalion, Izvestia reports.

Germany's natural gas storages are filled to 100 percent of their capacity, according to a report by the Association of European Gas Infrastructure Operators (Gas Infrastructure Europe - GIE). The capacity of the facilities in Germany is reported to be at 100.03% based on preliminary data, with allowances for changes in gas volume due to temperature variations.

High levels of gas storage, lower energy prices and new sources of fuel mean Europe is heading into a second winter with scarce Russian gas in a more comfortable position than a year ago.

Day 581 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours: