He continued: “Don’t think about how to return some turbine or other but strengthen sanctions. Do everything to limit Russian income not only from gas and oil but also from any export that still remains. And to sever trade ties with Russia as much as possible, because every such tie is a potential means of pressure for Russia.”
EU urges ‘energy saving.’
EU countries have since taken action by passing “a weakened emergency plan to curb gas demand after striking compromise deals to limit cuts for some countries,” Reuters reported, adding that the lower consumption will ease the impact in case the Kremlin full closes the gas valves altogether.
Today's agreement to save 15% of gas across Europe is a huge step forward towards reducing our vulnerability to Russia's gas games.
We can be masters of our own energy security this and next winter, on the basis of unity and solidarity. pic.twitter.com/VJVBOKhXfu
— Frans Timmermans (@F__Timmermans) July 26, 2022
And if the worst-case scenario comes, European citizens will have difficulty keeping themselves warm during the winter months. It will also affect its already weak economic growth, especially for Germany, who’s at the edge of the recession cliff. Thus, rationing and energy saving are highly urged to citizens, or they will have to resort to a more polluting fuel alternative.
Currently, Germany is already at Phase 2 out of its three-stage emergency gas plan. In its final phase, if rationing can no longer be avoided, the government’s “supply to the industry is curtailed first, while households and critical institutions such as hospitals continue to receive available gas.
Since the crisis began, European gas prices have risen to two percent following the Russia-Ukraine war on February 24, BBC News reported. While the United Kingdom is technically not directly impacted by the gas disruption—it only imports less than five percent from Russia—the Brits would still feel the repercussions of price increase in the global market. UK gas has gone up to 7 percent as of Wednesday, six times higher than a year ago.
With this coming, both US and Brussels have been pleading with EU members to save gas and store it for winter as early as possible by reducing consumption by 15 percent between August and March next year.
The US has already voiced its concern regarding the Russia-Europe gas pipeline, warning Europe that it could only increase its gas dependency on Russia. But Germany insisted that “the pipeline was a purely commercial project and that it could serve as an energy bridge as it phased out nuclear and coal,” CNN reported, thus the US issuing a wavier to allow the project to move forward.
Now, frustrated by how lengthy the aggression is taking with Ukraine and the West supplying the military aid, Russians are “lashing out” and trying to “destabilize Europe” by severing its gas supply.
Russia is the world’s second-largest natural gas exporter next to Saudi Arabia.
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