EU Chief Warns of Danger of Complete Cut-off of Russian Gas

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech at the European Parliament during the presentation of the program of activities of the Czech Republic's EU presidency, Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech at the European Parliament during the presentation of the program of activities of the Czech Republic's EU presidency, Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP)
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EU Chief Warns of Danger of Complete Cut-off of Russian Gas

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech at the European Parliament during the presentation of the program of activities of the Czech Republic's EU presidency, Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech at the European Parliament during the presentation of the program of activities of the Czech Republic's EU presidency, Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP)

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the 27-nation European Union needs to make emergency plans to prepare for a complete cut-off of Russian gas in the wake of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

The EU has already imposed sanctions on Russia, including on some energy supplies, and is gearing away from Kremlin-controlled deliveries. But the head of the EU's executive branch said the bloc needed to be ready for shock disruptions coming from Moscow.

"We also need to prepare now for further disruption of gas supply and even a complete cut-off of Russian gas supply," von der Leyen told the EU legislature in Strasbourg, France.

She said a dozen members have already been hit by reductions or full cuts in gas supplies as the political standoff with Moscow over the Ukraine invasion intensifies.

"It is obvious: Putin continues to use energy as a weapon. This is why the Commission is working on a European emergency plan," she said. "We need to make sure that in case of full disruption, the gas flows towards where it is most needed. We have to provide for European solidarity."

European Union countries already agreed last month that all natural gas storage in the 27-nation bloc should be topped up to at least 80% capacity for next winter to avoid shortages during the cold season. The new regulation also says underground gas storage on EU soil will need to be filled to 90% capacity before the 2023-24 winter.

The war in Ukraine has prompted the 27-nation bloc to rethink its energy policies and sever ties with Russian fossil fuels. Member countries have agreed to ban 90% of Russian oil by year-end in addition to a ban on imports of Russian coal that will start in August.

The EU has not included gas - a fuel used to power factories and generate electricity - in its own sanctions for fear of seriously harming the European economy. Before the war in Ukraine, it relied on Russia for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas.

To slash its use of Russian energy, the European Commission has been diversifying suppliers.

"And our efforts are already making a big difference," von der Leyen said. "Since March, global LNG exports to Europe have risen by 75% compared to 2021. LNG exports from the US to Europe have nearly tripled."

In the meantime, the average monthly import of Russian pipeline gas is declining by 33% compared with last year, von der Leyen said as she called for a speedy transition toward renewable sources of energy.

"Some say, in the new security environment after Russia’s aggression, we have to slow down the green transition. This transition would come at ‘the cost of basic security’, they say. The opposite is true. If we all do nothing but compete about limited fossil fuels, the prices will further explode and fill Putin’s war chest," she said. "Renewables are home-grown. They give us independence from Russian fossil fuels. They are more cost-efficient. And they are cleaner."

The EU Council agreed last month to raise the share of renewables in the bloc’s energy mix to at least 40% by 2030 - up from the previous target of 32%. In addition, a 9% energy consumption reduction target for 2030 will become binding on all EU member states for the first time.



Maldives Ban Israelis to Protest Gaza War 

The Maldives had lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and briefly moved to restore relations in 2010. (Getty Images/AFP)
The Maldives had lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and briefly moved to restore relations in 2010. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Maldives Ban Israelis to Protest Gaza War 

The Maldives had lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and briefly moved to restore relations in 2010. (Getty Images/AFP)
The Maldives had lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and briefly moved to restore relations in 2010. (Getty Images/AFP)

The Maldives announced Tuesday it was banning the entry of Israelis from the luxury tourist archipelago in "resolute solidarity" with the Palestinian people.

President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the legislation shortly after it was approved by parliament on Tuesday.

"The ratification reflects the government's firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people," his office said in a statement.

"The Maldives reaffirms its resolute solidarity with the Palestinian cause."

The ban will be implemented with immediate effect, a spokesman for Muizzu's office told AFP.

The Maldives, a small Islamic republic of 1,192 strategically located coral islets, is known for its secluded white sandy beaches, shallow turquoise lagoons and Robinson Crusoe-style getaways.

Official data showed that only 59 Israeli tourists visited the archipelago in February, among 214,000 other foreign arrivals.

The Maldives had lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and briefly moved to restore relations in 2010.

Opposition parties and government allies in the Maldives have been pressuring Muizzu to ban Israelis as a statement of opposition to the Gaza war.

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged its citizens last year to avoid travelling to the Maldives.

The Gaza war broke out after Palestinian group Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday that at least 1,613 Palestinians had been killed since March 18, when a ceasefire collapsed, taking the overall death toll since the war began to 50,983.