EU shows solidarity with Poland and Bulgaria deprived of Russian gas

The Minister for the French Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, discusses with her Portuguese and Spanish counterparts in Brussels on May 2, 2022. AFP - JOHN THYS

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The 27 Energy Ministers of the European Union met urgently on Monday after Gazprom's decision since Wednesday to cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria.

Both countries had refused to pay in rubles.

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With our correspondent in Brussels,

Pierre Bénazet

The main concern of the 27 energy ministers has been to close ranks

with Poland and Bulgaria

.

The ministers sent a message of European unity, of unfailing solidarity.

They also looked into the possibility of storing the gas and finding other sources of supply.

But according to the European Commissioner for Energy, this will only be possible in the short term for two thirds of the needs of Europeans.

“ 

We can finally have at the level of the whole union regulations which will converge so that gas storage can be at optimal levels to precisely face the risks of supply disruption,

explains the French Minister for Energy Transition. , Barbara Pompili.

But this will not be enough, we cannot reasonably think of replacing all Russian gas with other gas supplies.

We must therefore diversify the way we heat ourselves or produce electricity

”.

And while 97% of gas contracts with Russia provide for payment in dollars, or even in euros, the Europeans reaffirmed that any form of payment in rubles would be considered a violation of EU sanctions.

► To read also: Faced with the suspension of Russian gas, what alternatives for Bulgaria?

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