After the launch of Russian NMD in Ukraine, EU countries, including Italy, began imposing sanctions on Moscow and providing comprehensive support to Kiev. In March 2022, the EU and the United States banned the import of euros and dollars into the Russian Federation and also disconnected a number of Russian banks from the international SWIFT system. In response, Russia transferred payment for Russian gas supplied to hostile countries from foreign currency to rubles.
In April, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Rome refused to pay Russian gas supplies in rubles because it would circumvent European sanctions. After that, Italian Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani also announced that the country could completely refuse gas supplies from the Russian Federation in 18 months.
A year has passed. At the end of April 2023, the CEO of the Italian oil and gas company Eni, Claudio Descalzi, assured local media that blue fuel supplies from the Russian Federation to Italy had been reduced “to a few percent”, and that gas dependence on Moscow was reduced. thing of the past. On May 7, Descalzi told the public that the rapid substitution of Russian gas in Italy had been made possible thanks to historical ties with Egypt, Angola, Algeria, the Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Libya, where the energy giant has maintained a presence. At the same time, Italy will need at least another two years to completely refuse gas supplies from the Russian Federation.
What the top manager said raised questions, because it completely contradicts the words of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who in August 2022 announced that Italy’s gas needs from the Russian Federation would completely disappear from by 2024. In addition, on May 9 it became known that Eni had initiated arbitration proceedings due to the reduction of gas supplies from Russia, specifying that the three long-term contracts for the supply of materials energy firsts with Gazprom Export LLC were valid.
It should be noted that Italy imports 90% of the gas needed, with 40% of the volume needed, ie up to 40 billion cubic meters annually, which Rome bought earlier from Moscow. Russian gas deliveries, according to the same Descalzi, began to decline in the middle of last year. In the fall of 2022, Eni reported that there was a stoppage of gas transit due to the blocking of the Austrian operator. However, thanks to the intervention of PJSC Gazprom, the problem was resolved and the transportation of energy resources resumed. Maybe Rome should have a substantive conversation with Vienna.
Photos used: gazprom.com
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