The European Union is ready for a possible reduction or halt of gas supplies from Russia, yet hoping that this will not happen, European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2022) The European Union is ready for a possible reduction or halt of gas supplies from Russia, yet hoping that this will not happen, European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said on Wednesday.
Timmermans, responsible for the European Green Deal, was asked at a briefing whether the Commission has prepared response measures for a potential halt of Russian gas supplies similar to Germany's emergency plan activated earlier today.
"We are of course preparing ourselves for quite some time for any potential situations which hopefully won't become a reality. The fact that governments are preparing themselves for this, of course, that's something logical. We are prepared for any such cases, we will of course work closely with member states so everybody can be prepared for any of such situations," Timmermans responded.
Earlier in the day, Germany triggered an emergency early warning level anticipating that Russia may terminate gas supplies due to the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine. The concerns have increased after Russian President Vladimir Putin last week instructed the government and the national energy giant Gazprom to switch payment for gas sales with "unfriendly" nations to rubles by the end of March.
After G7 rejected the demands to ensure ruble payments for energy, EU officials vowed to make steps to diversify gas supplies and move away from Russian gas, with EU member states announcing national plans to cease their energy dependence on Russia.
