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Ursula von der Leyen has pointed the finger at Moscow, though Brussels is voluntarily reducing power imports
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday accused Russia of “blackmailing” the EU with its oil and gasoline exports. Nevertheless, the bloc is within the strategy of voluntarily reducing itself off from these power assets, and Moscow has blamed world meals shortages on Western sanctions.
Talking on the World Financial Discussion board’s annual assembly in Davos, Switzerland, von der Leyen mentioned the EU would “speed up” its transition to inexperienced power “due to Russia’s blackmailing us with fossil fuels.”
But hours earlier than she spoke, German Financial system Minister Robert Habeck introduced that the EU’s 27 member states would “attain a breakthrough inside days” to ban Russian oil imports, upon which many EU states rely. Germany, for instance, depends on Russia for round 1 / 4 of its imported oil, whereas the bloc as an entire sources 27% of its oil from Russia.
Von der Leyen has additionally promised to cut back the EU’s reliance on Russian gasoline by 66% this yr and remove it solely by 2027, as a part of a inexperienced power plan introduced final week. At current, 40% of the EU’s gasoline comes from Russia.
Because the begin of its army operation in Ukraine in February, and all through waves of successive EU and US sanctions, Russia has continued to promote its oil and gasoline to the EU. Moscow has demanded, nevertheless, that importers purchase its gasoline in rubles. Greater than half of Gazprom’s international purchasers have already opened ruble accounts with the Russian power large, in response to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
Von der Leyen additionally accused Russia of utilizing “meals exports as a type of blackmail,” by allegedly blocking grain shipments out of Ukraine and refusing to export its personal provide.
Nevertheless, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Monday that the West’s financial sanctions are chargeable for rising world meals costs, and that Ukraine is free to export its crop by Poland. Peskov additionally accused Ukrainian naval forces of mining the Black Sea, making shipments “just about inconceivable.”
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