NextGen Day

BRUSSELS – On Wednesday, the European Commission chief promised an “immediate, united, and coordinated” response to Russia’s move to halt gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland.

Ursula von der Leyen told reporters, “The era of Russian fossil fuel in Europe is coming to an end.”

“Another provocation from the Kremlin,” she said of Gazprom’s news about Russia’s unilateral halt of gas deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland.

She said the EU had planned for such a move and would respond in an “immediate, united, and coordinated” manner.

Due to earlier investments in upgrading gas infrastructure and interconnection between member states, Bulgaria and Poland are already receiving gas from their EU neighbors, according to von der Leyen.

According to the European Commission, payment in rubles is a violation of EU sanctions because “about 97 percent of all contracts clearly demand payments in euros or dollars.”

“Companies with such contracts should not acquiesce to Russian demands,” she warned, since “doing so would be a breach of the sanctions and would put them in danger.”

Von van Leyen promised European consumers that Russia’s measure would have “the least possible impact,” stating that the European Commission and member states will work harder in so-called regional groups to “mitigate any impacts on probable gas shortages.”

She also stated that they will continue to explore alternatives and that the EU’s executive body will propose its ideas for a quick green transition next month.

“Russia’s latest aggressive approach serves as yet another sharp warning that we must cooperate with trustworthy allies to achieve energy independence,” she stated.

Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, stated earlier Wednesday that it had halted gas exports to Bulgaria and Poland because they refused to pay in rubles.

The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that “unfriendly countries” must now pay in rubles for gas supplies after freezing the Russian Central Bank’s currency holdings over the Ukraine conflict, which began on February 24.

Last month, the European Commission announced a plan to reduce reliance on Russian energy and reduce gas imports by two-thirds by the end of this year by replacing them with other sources from East Africa and the United States, as well as speeding up the transition to renewable energy.

Since the start of the war, the EU has contributed €1.5 billion (USD1.6 billion) in military aid to Ukrainians and enacted five sets of sanctions.

Individuals targeted include President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, oligarchs, and military officers.

In addition, the EU has prohibited the export of luxury products and the import of coal, as well as excluding Russian and Belarusian institutions from the SWIFT international financial system.

In response to mounting demand to block Russian energy imports, the EU is presently planning its sixth round of restrictive measures.

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