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.
Thierry Monasse | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Eu Fee President Ursula von der Leyen has informed CNBC that power sanctions in opposition to Russia are nonetheless an choice if the rustic invades Ukraine.
When requested about the potential of enforcing sanctions on Russian gasoline massive Gazprom, von der Leyen mentioned Saturday, “the whole lot is at the desk.”
Europe imports round 40% of its gasoline provide from Gazprom, the EU leader informed CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on the Munich Safety Convention, which von der Leyen described as a “dependency that’s not sustainable.”
She mentioned she were achieving out with luck to choice providers, corresponding to america.
“We had now, in January, the perfect quantity of power deliveries [from elsewhere], and we all know via now that if there’s a decoupling of Russian gasoline as a retaliation, we’re in a position to make it via this iciness with out Russian gasoline however with provide from others and that is excellent,” von der Leyen mentioned.
Italian Top Minister Mario Draghi has argued that any attainable sanctions in opposition to Russia must no longer come with power imports. Italy is one of the greatest importers of Russian gasoline within the Eu Union.
Von der Leyen maintained that it used to be necessary not to rule out any choices, noting that two-thirds of Russia’s power exports cross to Europe and this accounts for a vital quantity of Russia’s finances. She argued that it used to be, subsequently, no longer a “good move” for Russia to decouple Europe from its gasoline provide.
Von der Leyen added that she had reassured Draghi that Europe would supply gasoline from in other places and that there used to be a pipeline community throughout the continent to “deliver the important gasoline to Italy in order that Italy may be at the secure aspect.”
Discussing the specter of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, von der Leyen mentioned “all of us need that international relations may have victory, however we get ready for the worst.”
President Joe Biden mentioned on Friday that the U.S. believes Putin has determined to hold out an assault on Ukraine “within the coming days.”