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Without action, twin threats of Russian sabotage and high prices will batter the bloc, the Commission President said.
The EU must take decisive action to ensure it can power key industries, while stepping up its efforts to deal with Russia’s weaponization of energy markets, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on Thursday.
Speaking at an energy security conference in London, the head of the bloc’s executive arm said the continent was at a “decisive moment” in which “we see threats to energy security intensifying.”
Von der Leyen touted an upcoming “roadmap,” expected on May 6, which she said will offer “concrete measures to phase out all imports of Russian fossil fuels so that we will no longer rely on a hostile power for our energy needs.”
Earlier this week, POLITICO reported that the EU was considering a ban on new Russian fossil fuel contracts as part of its long-awaited roadmap.
The plan has been delayed for weeks amid geopolitical uncertainty following U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapprochement with the Kremlin. Von der Leyen has, however, previously welcomed the suggestion of buying more American gas to help phase out Russian shipments.
“These energy partnerships, including imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States, remain of strategic importance for the European Union,” she added, while also crediting renewable power as having helped break Moscow’s stranglehold.
Meanwhile, the risk of Russian sabotage and cyberattacks against energy infrastructure is growing, demanding more cross-border cooperation with countries like Britain.
“We are developing capabilities to protect critical undersea cables,” von der Leyen said. “We are open and ready to share our experiences and to cooperate on this with strategic partners. ”
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