European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month that EU leaders had agreed to spend the next two months making proposals to end the bloc’s dependence on Russian energy imports by 2027. The following is a look at the actions taken by some EU countries: Germany: Russia’s largest energy customer in Europe had already taken steps to address the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but is now responding to more concerns about a possible gas shortage along with other countries. Germany issued an “early warning” of possible gas shortages after Russia said it wanted to be paid in rubles and threatened to cut off supplies if that did not happen. “Payment in rubles is not acceptable,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Monday. Speaking at a news conference in Berlin on Wednesday, he said the warning stage was precautionary and he would see increased monitoring of gas supplies. He also called on companies and consumers to use gas sparingly. German gas storage is currently full at 25% capacity, according to Habeck. “There is no shortage of supplies at the moment,” he said. “Nevertheless, we must take further precautionary measures to be prepared for any escalation by Russia.” German Chancellor Olaf Solz spoke by telephone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin later Wednesday, stressing that Berlin was committed to a G7 deal that would supply energy supplies from Russia only in euros or US dollars, according to German reading. of the call. Putin told Scholz that the law that payments for Russian energy supplies should be made in rubles does not apply to European partners and that payments will continue to be made in euros and transferred to Gazprom Bank, which is not affected by sanctions. and then converted into rubles, according to the reading. “Chancellor Scholz did not agree with this procedure in the conversation, but asked for written information to better understand the process,” the reading said. Netherlands: The Dutch government has urged the public to use less natural gas as it hopes to reduce its dependence on Russian imports, according to a spokesman for the economy ministry. However, the Netherlands would not activate a plan for the gas crisis, a spokesman told CNN. Instead, the government hopes to reduce gas use in the Netherlands through a campaign aimed at its citizens. Austria: Vienna issued an “early warning” of possible gas shortages in the country, which also follows the threat of Russia to cut off supplies if not paid in rubles. The early warning sees Austria taking “the next step in preparing for an emergency,” Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler wrote on Twitter.
title: “Russia Invades Ukraine Some Forces Withdrawn From Chernobyl Nuclear Power Site " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-23” author: “David Colson”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is meeting with his counterparts in China and India this week – two countries under pressure to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine as the death toll from the unprovoked conflict rises. Lavrov first met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday ahead of a scheduled flight to India on Thursday, his only second trip abroad since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. On paper, Lavrov’s meeting with Wang was apparently about the unrest in Afghanistan. However, one expert said it was “unthinkable” that they would not discuss the situation in Ukraine, including the harsh sanctions imposed by the international community on Russia and its ally Belarus. “It is inconceivable that the parties will avoid Ukraine in their discussions, whatever they say is the focus of the visit,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, prior to the visit. Lavrov’s trip will give him the opportunity to assess the state of Russia’s relations with China and India, as they are under increasing international control due to their lack of a strong response in Moscow. Both China and India have categorically refused to condemn Russia’s brutal invasion, and both abstained from voting on UN resolutions calling on Moscow to immediately end its invasion of Ukraine. By the end of Lavrov’s first day in China on Wednesday, Beijing had clarified its position. “There is no ceiling for Sino-Russian cooperation, no ceiling to fight for peace, no ceiling to maintain security and no ceiling to oppose hegemony,” said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. Wang Wenbin, according to the state agency. Xinhua news agency. Read more about Lavrov’s trip to Asia:
