Von der Leyen urged the EU to reject gas from Russia and lower energy prices
The European Union (EU) should give up Russian gas and reduce prices for energy resources. This was stated by the head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen on January 22.
Speaking at the session of the European Parliament, she noted that energy prices in Europe are higher than in the United States and China. They also vary widely across the EU.
"We need to bring them down while we end the phase-out of Russian fuel. Both these tasks are important, we need to achieve them," von der Leyen said, her words quoted by TASS.
The EC head emphasized the need for the EU to expand investments in green technologies, including "new generation". She added that the European Commission "will present these tasks in its new energy plan."
Von der Leyen urged to work closely with the United States on this issue, buying more gas from the American side.
Earlier, on January 19, the deputy speaker of the Slovak Parliament Tibor Gašpar said that due to the actions of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (term expired in May 2024) on gas transit, the EU could suffer damage to the amount of €70 billion.
On January 3, it was reported that gas prices in European countries on the first trading day of the year showed the maximum since 2023 amid the cessation of supplies from Russia. Before that, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova noted that the cessation of gas supplies from Russia through Ukraine weakens the economic potential of the European Union.
At the end of August 2024, Zelensky said the country would not renew its gas transit agreement with Russia, which expired at the end of 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin later indicated that Moscow was not giving up gas transit through Ukraine.
On January 1, 2025, Gazprom said it would suspend gas supplies through Ukraine. On the same day, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo said that this would have drastic consequences for the EU, but not for Russia.
