European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said that in the summer of 2022 European gas and electricity bills rose by 300% after Russia cut gas supplies. Speaking in the Parliament of Canada, she pointed out that at the time, Moscow was trying to blackmail Europe.
Russia cut off 80% of its gas supplies to Europe in 8 months and last summer European energy prices skyrocketed and our electricity and gas bills rose by 300%
Von der Leyen said.
She added that the European Union has succeeded in “replacing Russian gas with a large amount of imports from reliable suppliers”. Canada has played a key role in this file, noted the head of the EC, adding that Ottawa has increased exports of liquefied natural gas to Europe. Europeans have also been able to help themselves by reducing their energy consumption by 20%, said the European politician.
Earlier, it was reported that at the end of 2022, trade turnover between the European Union and Russia was an eight-year high. Trade between the Russian Federation and the EU, despite Western restrictions, rose 2.3% on the year, reaching 258.6 billion euros, the highest since 2014.
