The European Commission has called on EU countries to prepare gas for the winter now

The European Commission (EC) is calling on the European Union (EU) countries to start the gas injection season now due to the crisis amid the conflict over Iran. This became known on March 23 from the published statement of the EC.

"Given the market volatility caused by the conflict in the Middle East, the European Commission calls on member states to start the gas injection season and preparations for it in a coordinated and timely manner by next winter," the document says.

The EC believes that Europe's energy security remains protected due to the lack of imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Middle East, which supplied oil through the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict. But timely preparation, as stated in the document, is crucial to ensure that the storage facilities are sufficiently filled by next winter.

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A shortage of supplies can lead to a price spike of over $1,000.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 22 that the main topic for Europeans now is not Ukraine, but the issue of paying bills for gas and electricity. He noted that Europe still wants the conflict in Ukraine to continue and does not know how to pay for it.

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said on March 20 that EU countries are allowed to provide unlimited government assistance to energy consumers, and also called for lower taxes on electricity to curb rising energy prices as a result of the war in the Middle East. Von der Leyen stressed that the permit is "temporary and targeted."

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