EU working to reduce energy dependency on Russia: Commission chief

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that the bloc is working to decrease energy dependency on Russia following its war on Ukraine.

“We have to get rid of the dependency of Russian gas, oil and coal,” Von der Leyen told a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Brussels, adding that the Commission will publish on Tuesday three new proposals in this regard.

Russia is one the main EU suppliers of crude oil, natural gas and solid fossil fuels such as coal.

In 2021, the EU imported 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, accounting for around 45% of EU gas imports and close to 40% of its total gas consumption, according to the International Energy Agency.

The proposals include the diversification of EU’s energy supply to replace Russian imports with “reliable suppliers” of liquified natural gas (LNG) and pipeline gas, speeding up the bloc’s transition to renewable energy, and providing support for consumers and businesses to reach more energy efficiency.

“This is not only important and good for our strategic investment in our independence, but it is also good for our industry, and it is good for our planet,” von der Leyen said.

The Commission will also seek to protect consumers from rising energy prices by restructuring the bloc’s energy market.

Draghi said his government supports the EU in reducing Russian energy dependency, adding that he also held talks on Saturday with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on energy cooperation.

Meanwhile, the EU president added that the bloc is also “working on further sanctions that might be warranted” against Russia depending on “the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin's reckless aggression towards citizens women, children, men."

She stressed that the EU has to make sure that the already adopted sanctions “are really biting” and nobody can escape the restrictive measures by finding loopholes.

The war on Ukraine has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global companies from Russia.

At least 364 civilians have been killed and 759 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN figures.

More than 1.5 million people have also fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the UNHCR said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the imposition of sanctions by the West “akin to a declaration of war.”