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exacerbating an already difficult situation.......

The EU has failed to overcome its dependence on Russian energy, and needs a new plan to wean itself off Moscow’s supplies, the bloc’s new energy chief told Politico on Thursday.

In his first interview since taking the post, Dan Jorgensen highlighted the growth in Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases.

The share of Russian LNG on the EU market reached 20% this year, according to the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, despite Brussels’ pledge to stop consuming Russian fuel by 2027.

“It’s obvious to everybody that something new needs to happen because… now it’s beginning to go in the wrong direction,” the EU Energy commissioner said, while pledging to present “a tangible roadmap that will include efficient tools and means for us to solve the remaining part of the problem.”

The new measures will target “gas primarily, but also oil and nuclear” and will be formulated by mid-March, Jorgensen said, noting that five EU countries still rely on Russia for nuclear fuel.

The EU declared its intention to end its dependence on Russian energy supplies following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Supplies of higher-cost US fuel have replaced much of the cheap pipeline gas that was previously delivered by Russia.

However, efforts have stalled in recent months, and the EU continues to buy billions of euros’ worth of Russian gas each month. In 2024, the bloc is expected to import 10% more LNG from Russia than in 2023, according to energy analytics firm Kpler.

Politico noted, however, that any plan to sever energy ties with Russia in the next few years would be strongly opposed by EU members that are still heavily reliant the imports, particularly Hungary and Slovakia, whose leaders Viktor Orban and Robert Fico have resisted energy sanctions on Russia.

Jorgensen’s proposal is also likely to come just weeks after a long-term contract for Russian gas transit via Ukraine is set to expire, on December 31. The EU still receives around 5% of its gas from Russia via Ukraine’s gas transit network, according to the latest data.

Last month, Bloomberg warned of an imminent energy crisis in Western and Central Europe due to the latest US sanctions against Russia’s Gazprombank, the primary bank for energy-related transactions. The outlet said that rapidly depleting gas reserves and potential supply cuts from Russia threaten to exacerbate an already difficult situation.

https://www.rt.com/news/609249-eu-russian-energy-dan-jorgensen/

 

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME RUSSIA IF WW3 STARTS. BLAME YOURSELF.

 

a russian defeat....

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME RUSSIA IF WW3 STARTS. BLAME YOURSELF.

no yuck-gas....

Moldova's parliament has declared that a 60-day national state of emergency will go into effect on December 16. The motion was prompted by Ukraine’s decision not to renew its deal to provide the country with Russian pipeline gas after the end of the year.

The lawmakers voted to impose the measure “due to insufficient energy resources,” according to a statement the parliament released on X (formerly Twitter).

Declaring a state of emergency allows the government to respond rapidly and curb energy exports, noted Reuters.

Moldova receives Russian pipeline gas via Ukraine’s transit network under a five-year contract with Gazprom, which was signed in October 2021

The transit agreement between Russia’s energy giant and Ukraine’s state energy firm Naftogaz, however, is set to expire on December 31. Ukraine has reiterated that the deal will not be extended, and the flow will drop to zero on January 1.

Ukraine’s transit network is connected to pipeline systems of Moldova, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The EU still receives around 5% of its gas from Russia via Ukraine, according to the latest data.

Moldovan Vice-Premier Oleg Serebrian claimed on Friday that Ukraine would not agree to continue transit “just for the sake of Hungary and Moldova.” The latter is one of the few EU countries which remains dependent on Russian gas.

In November, Moldova’s then-energy minister Victor Parlicov stressed that maintaining transit through Ukraine would be the best scenario not only for his country, but for all parties involved.

READ MORE: EU candidate could become failed state – Russian spy chief

Parlicov made the statement following talks with Gazprom. The Russian supplier reiterated its readiness to continue transit, provided Moldova and Ukraine reach an agreement. According to the minister, Chisinau reached out to Kiev, but no decision had been made.

Earlier this month Moldova’s pro-EU President Maia Sandu fired Parlicov for failing to tackle the country’s energy crisis.

Moldova is a former Soviet republic sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. The country has pursued a distinctively pro-Western course since 2020, when President Sandu came to power. Her government has been actively pushing for EU and NATO membership, going as far as banning critics and calling on Brussels to sanction those opposed to the idea. Moldova was granted candidate status by the EU in 2022.

READ MORE: Moldovan election wasn’t ‘free or fair’ – Kremlin

Prime Minister Recean has urged the state organs responsible for energy to prepare for various scenarios ahead of the January 1 cut-off. One option is gas deliveries via the TurkStream pipeline. The conduit runs from Russia to Türkiye via the Black Sea and then continues to the border with EU member Greece. From there, the gas can flow via Bulgaria and Romania to Moldova.

https://www.rt.com/russia/609323-moldova-emergency-russian-gas-ukraine/

 

READ FROM TOP.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME RUSSIA IF WW3 STARTS. BLAME YOURSELF.