EU ‘a trampled worm’ – veteran German politician

Banning Russian gas and deepening energy dependence on the US locks the bloc into economic decline, Sahra Wagenknecht has said.

The EU is destined for economic decline and deeper dependence on the US due to its new ban on Russian gas imports, German MP Sahra Wagenknecht has said, describing the bloc as “a trampled worm.”

On Monday, EU countries gave final approval to legislation requiring all 27 member states to end imports of Russian gas by next year. The measures include a complete ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, followed by a prohibition on pipeline gas deliveries which takes effect on September 30, 2027.

“The EU is sealing its economic decline and complete dependence on US fracking gas,” the former legislator said in a post on X on Monday.

“Anyone who makes himself a worm should not complain about being trampled underfoot,” she remarked.

For years, Washington had criticized the EU over what it called increasing dependence on Russian energy supplies, pushing the bloc to diversify its imports.

After the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the bloc sharply reduced Russian pipeline imports as part of its sanctions against Moscow.

At the same time, the EU increased its reliance on more expensive US-sourced LNG, which reportedly now accounts for nearly a quarter of the bloc’s consumption. Germany, meanwhile, has reportedly become almost entirely dependent on the super-chilled American fuel.

The switch has triggered an energy crisis across the bloc, driving up wholesale prices, raising living costs, and hurting industrial competitiveness. The crunch worsened after the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were blown up, further reducing Russian supplies.

The EU has designed a mechanism to allow legislation to be approved by a qualified majority of countries in order to overcome opposition. Hungary and Slovakia remain heavily reliant on Russian energy imports and have reportedly voted against the move. The two countries have vowed to initiate proceedings to annul the decision at the EU Court of Justice.

Russia maintains that it is a reliable supplier, while denouncing Western sanctions as illegal. The country has successfully shifted exports to ‘friendly’ markets, primarily Asia, saying that the EU is shooting itself in the foot by banning cheaper energy.