EU Fee’s President Ursula von der Leyen holds a press convention forward the G20 and the COP26 (Glasgow Convention) within the Berlaymont, the EU Fee headquarter on October 28, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium.
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European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen has informed CNBC that vitality sanctions towards Russia are nonetheless an choice if the nation invades Ukraine.
When requested about the opportunity of imposing sanctions on Russian fuel big Gazprom, von der Leyen stated Saturday, “all the pieces is on the desk.”
Europe imports round 40% of its fuel provide from Gazprom, the EU chief informed CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on the Munich Safety Convention, which von der Leyen described as a “dependency that’s not sustainable.”
She stated she had been reaching out with success to various suppliers, akin to the USA.
“We had now, in January, the very best quantity of vitality deliveries [from elsewhere], and we all know by now that if there’s a decoupling of Russian fuel as a retaliation, we’re capable of make it by way of this winter with out Russian fuel however with provide from others and that is good,” von der Leyen stated.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has argued that any potential sanctions towards Russia mustn’t embrace vitality imports. Italy is among the many largest importers of Russian fuel within the European Union.
Von der Leyen maintained that it was necessary to not rule out any choices, noting that two-thirds of Russia’s vitality exports go to Europe and this accounts for a big quantity of Russia’s funds. She argued that it was, subsequently, not a “sensible transfer” for Russia to decouple Europe from its fuel provide.
Von der Leyen added that she had reassured Draghi that Europe would supply fuel from elsewhere and that there was a pipeline community by way of the continent to “convey the required fuel to Italy in order that Italy can also be on the protected facet.”
Discussing the specter of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, von der Leyen stated “all of us need that diplomacy may have victory, however we put together for the worst.”
President Joe Biden stated on Friday that the U.S. believes Putin has determined to hold out an assault on Ukraine “within the coming days.”