Qatar says replacing Russian gas is impossible

Replacing Russian natural gas on the European market is “not practically possible,” Qatari Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said in an interview with CNN on Thursday.

The official, who is also the president and CEO of state-owned QatarEnergy, noted that “from 30 to 40% of the total volume of gas supplied to the world market comes from Russia.”

The EU imposed economic sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine, and announced it would move towards gradually slashing consumption of Russian natural gas this year. Over 40% of the EU’s gas imports come from Russia.

However, Al-Kaabi said Qatar would not impose sanctions on the Russian oil and gas sector, stressing that “energy should stay out of politics.” According to the minister, Qatar will not take sides in the Ukraine crisis.

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