Mike brought the news of the gas deal between Russia and China earlier and the EU haven’t been slow in making their feelings known. EU’s Jose Manuel Barroso, Polish PM Donald Tusk and EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger have been speaking at a news conference on energy security.
The main comments focus on the need to invest in strategic energy infrastructure and completing development of the EU energy market. Most notably there were veiled comments from the speakers with Oettinger saying that energy shouldn’t be used as a political tool, and Barroso saying that energy shouldn’t be politicised and that it is important to be sure about energy supply and its transit.
Tusk said that energy dependence is a political problem and that the EU should focus on gas supplies in its energy security strategy and that it should give up domestic energy sources.
As I mentioned yesterday, Putin’s deal with China could affect how the Ukraine situation plays out from here. In my view Putin is now in a stronger position with regards to holding the keys to Europe’s gas supplies. It’s too early to tell how he’s going play it but if the US and Europe ramp up sanctions he going to have an ace up his sleeve.
