Brussels March 8 2022: The European Union has drafted plans to diversify its energy supply and phase out its dependence on Russian oil, gas and coal imports.
The bloc currently imports nearly half of its gas and coal, and about a third of its oil, from Russia.
EU leaders will discuss the proposed phase-out this Thursday and Friday at a gathering in Versailles, France.
A draft statement reportedly refers to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “a tectonic shift in European history”.
It sets out an objective of “reducing our dependencies and designing a new growth and investment model for 2030” by accelerating the development of renewables as well as by diversifying energy supplies and routes.
Other Western leaders are also scrambling to prepare for potential shocks to global energy markets.
Earlier on Monday, British PM Boris Johnson urged a “step-by-step” move away from dependence on Russian oil and gas.
The US, which imports about 8% of its oil from Russia, has recently been trying to cut deals with major oil-exporting nations like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Iran.
