The European Union is gradually freeing itself from the dependence that has long hampered political decisions, despite the aggressiveness of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This was stated in an article by Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, "How sanctions work and when they will affect Putin: an article by the EU's chief diplomat.

"By the end of 2022, the EU will reduce Russian oil imports by 90 percent. We are also rapidly reducing gas imports. Vladimir Putin probably thought that Europe would not dare impose sanctions because of its energy dependence on Russia. This is one of the significant miscalculations made by the Russian regime during this conflict," the article says.

Borrell acknowledged that abandoning Russian energy so quickly creates serious difficulties for many EU countries, as well as for several sectors of the economy. 

"But this is the price we have to pay to protect our democracy and international law, and we are taking the necessary measures to solve these problems in a spirit of full solidarity," he stressed.