“The announcement by Gazprom that it is unilaterally stopping delivery of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail,” Von Der Leyen said. “This is unjustified and unacceptable. And it shows once again the unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier.”
“It comes as no surprise that the Kremlin uses fossil fuels to blackmail us. This is something the EU Commission has been preparing for, with Member States and international partners. Our response will be immediate, united, and coordinated,” she further warned on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki underscored the importance of Europe weaning itself from Russian gas, insisting that “Europe cannot afford to live in constant danger from Russian aggression” and blackmail.