French Environment Minister Barbara Pompili said in New York on Wednesday that the 27-nation European Union could not impose a full embargo on hydrocarbon imports from Russia, such as the United States.
While Washington and London have announced they are ending gas and oil imports from Russia, the much more dependent EU is not ready to follow suit, but is working to cut gas purchases from Moscow by two-thirds by the end of the year. .
Speaking on behalf of the French Presidency of the European Council during her visit to the UN, Ms Pompili assured that the 27 would take “very heavy steps” so that “by the end of the year” they could reduce by two thirdly, imports of “Russian gas.
He insisted on the importance of this in comparison with “the dependence we have today”.
According to Ms. Pobili, who is scheduled to meet today in Washington with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, “(US) President (Joe) Biden himself acknowledged that the situation in the US and Europe is not comparable. and that he does not mean to ask us to make such a decision. ”
Mr Biden announced on Tuesday that his government was ending imports of Russian hydrocarbons to the United States, while the United Kingdom pledged to do the same by the end of 2022.
Russian oil accounts for only 8% of US crude imports; the US does not import gas from Russia.
To reduce European dependence – the 27 imports 45% of the gas and coal and 25% of the oil they consume from Russia – without risking hurting the economies of the most exposed countries, Brussels suggested that Member States diversify their supplies, increase their reserves and reduce energy consumption.
The roadmap will be discussed today and tomorrow, Friday, by the EU Heads of State and Government at the Versailles Summit. They will pledge to reduce “their (dependence) on gas, oil and coal imports” from Russia, according to the text of conclusions consulted by Agence France-Presse.
“This geopolitical crisis will last” and the EU will not take “measures that would have a very severe impact on our economies” and would raise the risk of “destabilizing our societies”, Ms Pompili said, explaining that “we can not pass from 40% to zero in five minutes “.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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