EU admits it’s hard to find a replacement for Russian gas

BRUSSELS – The top diplomat of the European Union (EU) promised the bloc would cut off natural gas supplies from Russia in the coming years. Various efforts were made with great difficulty to no longer depend on Russian gas.

Speaking to Espanola Television, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said EU members had come to the conclusion that they were too dependent on Russian gas.

“First it will be coal, then … oil … but it will take more time to (eliminate Russia) gas, because we have to adapt, we cannot go from 40% to 0% overnight,” he said. .

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He added, “And Russia knows that we will stop buying its gas.”

“Russia wants to sell its gas, but not necessarily to us,” Borrell said, urging EU member states to reduce energy consumption voluntarily so that authorities do not have to impose mandatory restrictions.

EU diplomats also said the bloc had made efforts to reduce Russian gas.

“We have already started to save on Russian gas. Reducing the average heating temperature in Europe by one degree is equivalent to saving 6% of gas,” he said.

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According to Borrell, before the conflict in Ukraine broke out, Europe imported about 40% of its natural gas from Russia, but that figure has now dropped to around 20%.

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