Boris Johnson 'not invited to EU leaders summit' reveals Ricketts
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EU leaders are set to look for options for slashing energy ties with Russia on Thursday as its allies wait for it to slap down the much longed-for sanctions amid Putin’s Ukraine invasion. The bloc is lagging behind the UK and the US in terms of sanctioning Russia’s energy sector, likely due to its huge dependence on Putin for supplies. Ms von der Leyen has said that as the bloc imports 90% of its gas — much of it from strategic rival Russia — “this makes us vulnerable”.
As a result, she wants the EU to double down on a swift transition to clean energy.
But Ms Adler detailed why it may be easier said than done.
She tweeted: “Will Brussels go for oil sanctions against Russia or not? That is THE big question ahead of the EU leaders’ summit on Thursday.
“Sanctions to date haven’t stopped Russian attacks in Ukraine. Former iron curtain EU countries demand the oil ban. Germany (again) is more reluctant. EU energy purchases line Vladimir Putin’s war chest day by day.
“The EU is more reliant – and some EU countries like Germany far more than others – on Russian gas and oil than the US, and also UK. EU leaders worry about sanctions’ impact on energy prices back home. They’re already high.”
As a result, she wants the EU to double down on a swift transition to clean energy.
As the EU gets 40 percent of its gas from Russia, analysts have tipped that it is more likely to expect sanctions on oil rather than gas.
The UK meanwhile only gets around five percent of its gas from Russia.
As Ms Adler noted, Germany has appeared to be more reluctant to agree than other members of the bloc, likely due to its huge dependence on Russia, one of the highest
In 2021, Germany imported 81 million tonnes of crude oil, with Russia by far the largest supplier accounting for 34 percent of deliveries.
Ms Adler said: “Also because Russia earns so much from crude oil sales. But Germany is very reluctant. It depends for a third of its oil supplies on Russia. This promises to be a heated debate between EU leaders on Thursday.”
Germany also relies on Russia to supply around 40 percent of its gas supplies
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz has suggested ahead of Thursday’s meeting that he will not support sanctions on Russian energy.
He said: “Sanctions should not hurt European states harder than the Russian leadership.”
Mr Scholz also said that slashing dependence on Russia “overnight” would plunge his country into a recession and risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and entire industrial sectors.
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But other countries within the 27-nation bloc have disagreed as a furious bust-up within the union emerges.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: “Fully cutting off Russia’s trade would further force Russia to consider whether it would be better to stop this cruel war.”
France has argued that there should be no “taboos” in terms of sanctions if the situation in Ukraine gets worse.
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