Europe is planning to slash consumption of Russian natural gas this year as it prepares for a complete break with its single biggest energy supplier over the special military operations in Ukraine, CNN reports.
EU officials on Tuesday outlined a plan to achieve energy independence from Moscow "well before 2030." The European Union would start by reducing demand for Russian natural gas by two thirds this year. Those plans will be discussed at an emergency summit of EU leaders in France on Thursday.
"We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. "We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us."
The European Union depends on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas. Russia also supplies about 27% of the 27-country bloc's oil imports, and 46% of its coal imports.
EU leaders have made clear this week that the bloc can't yet join the United States in banning Russian oil, because of the impact that would have on households and businesses already grappling with record high prices for fuel and heating. Europe gets much more of its energy from Russia than either the United States or United Kingdom.
