Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has warned that Russia can halt gas exports to Europe, urging member states to minimize their gas use over the coming winter months.
“Russia is blackmailing us. Russia is using energy as a weapon. And therefore, in any event, whether it’s a partial, major cut-off of Russian gas or a total cut-off of Russian gas, Europe needs to be ready,” von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels.
“We have to be proactive. We have to prepare for a potential full disruption of Russian gas. And this is a likely scenario. That’s what we’ve seen in the past,” she said.
“Assuming there is a full disruption of Russian gas, we need to save gas, to fill our gas storage faster, and to do so we have to reduce our gas consumption.”
Meanwhile, further measures will be discussed by EU member states at an emergency meeting of energy ministers next Tuesday.
Picture Credits: AP
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