The energy ministers of the European Union (EU) are discussing this Monday a response to the cut off of Russian gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, and they are evaluating ways to reduce their dependence on hydrocarbons from Russia, as part of a new package of sanctions for the war in Ukraine.
The meeting is the first in the area of energy after Russia cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria because those two countries refused to pay in rubles, as Moscow has demanded since the start of the war in Ukraine.
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“We refused to pay for Russian gas in rubles and Russia cut off our supply, but we are safe,” Polish Energy Minister Anna Moskwa said on Monday, arriving at the meeting in Brussels.
In response to Russia’s gesture, “we call for an immediate embargo on Russian oil and gas. The time has come for oil, then gas will come,” he added.
For Moskwa, “Europe must get rid of its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.”
The official said that Polish gas reserves will be at 100% of their capacity “in this winter”.
“American gas has started to come through Lithuania and we are going to get gas from Norway through Denmark,” he said.
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payment mechanisms
As a result of the war in Ukraine, the EU adopted several packages of sanctions against Russia, one of which directly affects the exchange capabilities of the Russian Central Bank, and in response the authorities in Moscow began to demand payment in rubles for the purchase of natural gas and oil.
The EU alleges that the contracts concluded by European companies are denominated in euros or dollars, which is why the European Commission considers that the conversion mechanism imposed by Moscow allows it to evade European sanctions.
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Therefore, Poland and Bulgaria paid for their purchases in the currency provided for in their contracts with Gazprom and refused to open a second account in rubles.
The Russian gas company, in retaliation, considered that it had not received the payments and suspended its deliveries.
Energy ministers have to decide if there is a problem with opening a second account in rubles, if Gazprom accepts payment in euros or dollars according to the contract, a European source explained.
“No company and no country intends to open a ruble account,” European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said upon arrival at the meeting.
reduce dependency
The ministers must also agree on a gradual cessation of purchases of Russian oil and derivatives, but no decision is expected at the end of this meeting.said French energy minister Barbara Pompili.
“A new sanctions package is being worked on, but that will not be the subject of this energy council. That will come in the next few days,” he explained.
For her part, Spanish Minister Teresa Ribera stressed that the issue of “sanctions is not the responsibility of the energy ministers.”
“Our discussions will focus on ways to reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels as soon as possible,” he stressed.
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Our discussions will focus on ways to reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels as soon as possible
His German counterpart, Robert Habeck, pointed out for his part that “we have significantly reduced our dependence on Russian oil and have created the necessary conditions to be able to withstand an embargo as well.”
In 2021, Russia supplied 30% of the crude oil and 15% of the oil derivatives purchased by the EU.
“We are not calling for an immediate embargo on all fossil fuel imports, because (we know) we could not last even a single month,” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in Berlin on Monday.
AFP
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