European citizens are waiting with bated breath for the decisions of Brussels with Ursula von der Leyen yesterday giving a preview of the measures prepared by the Commission
As winter approaches, Moscow closes the natural gas taps, putting unbearable pressure on European households and businesses.
European citizens are waiting with baited breath for the decisions of Brussels, with Ursula von der Leyen yesterday giving a preview of the measures being prepared by the Commission.
In a post on Twitter, the head of the Commission said that “Putin is using energy as a weapon by reducing supply and manipulating our energy markets” and added that the Commission is preparing proposals to help vulnerable households and businesses cope with high prices energy’s.
According to the European Commission’s own proposal, it will aim to:
- Reduction in electricity demand
- Price ceiling on Russian natural gas
- Helping vulnerable consumers and businesses with income from the energy sector
- Enabling support for electricity producers facing volatility-related liquidity difficulties.
Mutual support between France and Germany
Meanwhile, yesterday Germany and France they decided to enter a new era of mutual support, essentially exchanging products, which will be in short supply due to the energy war with Russia.
According to the French president, Emmanuel Macronwho had a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Paris will reinforce Berlin with natural gas and Germany will “reciprocate” with electricity.
“Germany needs our natural gas and we need energy from the rest of Europe, especially from Germany,” the French president said at a press conference.
“We will complete the natural gas interconnections to be able to deliver gas to Germany if there is a need for solidarity,” he added.
“If the Commission decides to put a ceiling on the price of gas purchased through the pipelines from Russia, France will support this measure”, he stressed and added that he agrees with the proposal to buy gas “jointly” with the other countries EU so that a lower price is paid.
He also added that its electricity market The European Union needs to be reformed in the medium term, mainly to ensure that market prices are more in line with real production costs.
Threats from Moscow
And all this while yesterday the representative of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov said that the gas supply from Russia to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will not fully resume until the West lifts the sanctions against Moscow.
He argued that EU, UK and Canadian sanctions are an obstacle to the delivery of gas through the main Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
“The problems arose because of the sanctions imposed by Western countries against our country and many companies,” Mr Peskov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “There are no other reasons that could have caused this pumping problem.”
Immediately after Moscow’s announcement, natural gas prices began to soar, rising at least 30%, with markets tipping for even more.
The same time, a White House official blamed Russia that he is using energy as a weapon after he stopped the flow of natural gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and said that US sanctions on Moscow do not prevent the operation of the largest energy supply line to Europe.
“Russia uses energy as a weapon and chooses to close the pipeline,” the official said. Russia blames the “collective West” for the problems it creates in natural gas supplies.
“The US and Europe are working together to ensure adequate supplies. As a result of these efforts, European gas reserves will be full during the critical winter heating season. We need to work more on this,” the official said.
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