Poland and Bulgaria get gas from their EU neighbors, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
This comes after Russian energy giant Gazprom cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday after both countries refused to pay the Russian energy giant in rubles, the company said in a statement.
In a statement, von der Leyen called it “another Kremlin provocation” and accused Moscow of using gas to “blackmail” the bloc.
“This is something the European Commission is preparing for, in close coordination and solidarity with Member States and international partners. Our response will be immediate, united and coordinated,” she said in a statement. “Firstly, we will ensure that Gazprom’s decision has the least possible impact on European consumers. Today Member States met in the Gas Coordination Group. Poland and Bulgaria have informed us of the situation. Both Poland and Bulgaria now get gas from their EU neighbors.”
The official also stressed the need for reliable energy partners and promised the end of the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe.
Further in her statement, she pledged to ensure a “medium-term” plan for adequate gas supply and storage, and also looked forward to investing in a “green transition”.
“In the longer term, REPowerEU will also help us move towards a more reliable, secure and sustainable energy supply. In mid-May we will present our plans to accelerate the green transition. Every euro we invest in renewable energies and energy efficiency is a deposit towards our future energy independence,” she said.
Bulgaria is “in constant communication” with the European Commission as “joint supplies are being discussed at EU level,” the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy said in a statement Wednesday.
During a briefing in the capital Sofia, Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov said that “the consumption of natural gas in Bulgaria is guaranteed for at least a month and there is no need to limit consumption at this time.”
Nikolov said a warning was received from Russia’s Gazprom on Tuesday that supplies would be interrupted. He said that under the current contract, the Bulgarian gas company Bulgargaz has fulfilled all its obligations and that Gazprom is not fulfilling the supplier’s contractual obligations.
“It is clear that in the current war situation in Ukraine, natural gas is being used by Russia as a political and economic weapon,” Nikolov said, adding that Bulgaria will not enter into negotiations under pressure.
Bulgarian natural gas companies have ensured continuity of “alternative supplies”, the ministry said.
“Our country is a loyal partner in existing contracts and we will not jeopardize deliveries to our neighbors,” Nikolov said.
Radina Gigova of DailyExpertNews contributed to this post.
