“We’re looking for peace, I’m really looking for it. The other European leaders, like the French and the Germans, have had and will have talks Wladimir Putin“. According to the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, in the press conference at the end of the EU summit in Brussels. “I have seen the words of the Holy Father he then stressed to whom I would like to express my personal gratitude and that of the government. I would like to repeat immediately that we seek peace”.
“The European Council continued the Prime Minister focused on the discussion on electricity, where progress was made towards decisions to be taken together at a very difficult moment”. And then: “In May we will have a proposal from the European Commission on the possibility of unpacking electricity pricing from gas pricing. We have to wait for a report from the European regulator.
The prime minister then dedicated a passage to press freedom: “Perhaps it is not surprising that the Russian ambassador was so upset with an Italian newspaper that he was able to express his opinion. Basically, he’s the ambassador of a country that doesn’t have one. “That’s freedom of the press. Here she is and she is much better. I would like to express my solidarity with the press journalists and the director Massimo Giannini. Freedom of the press is enshrined in the constitution.
The Gas Price Cap: Answers in May
At the energy level, Draghi assures that “there has been progress” but no final decision yet, also because of some resistance on the price cap, also because “some companies fear that the cap will provoke reactions from the Russian supplier”. The Prime Minister explains that “the starting point for procurement differs greatly from country to country and we have to take this diversity into account”: Although the possibility of a price cap “has been decided, the Commission will examine these proposals with stakeholders and there will be an energy ministerial council who will take part: for May we will have proposals on this, and a proposal from the Commission on the possibility of unpacking the formation of the electricity price from the gas price”. curb, “but does not appeal to the suppliers in Northern Europe and Norway, who are currently earning a lot”.
Norway “towards”
“The companies in the north says Draghi are the ones that supply Norwegian gas. The Norwegian government’s profits in recent months have amounted to 150 billion dollars for a country of 5 million inhabitants: this shows the extraordinary size of the profits. and explains their opposition to a price cap, which would certainly decrease but far from wiping out their profits. We always keep in mind that the price cap applies to the Russian supplier, but in reality the northern gas suppliers are mostly Norwegian”.
“EU is reviewing many of its rules”
“The immediate responses to Moscow’s war in Ukraine “came with sanctions. Now Europe is trying to collectively rethink many, if not all, of the rules that have accompanied the EU in recent years, from the internal market to state aid laws , the Stability Pact, the possibility of creating another common debt by the European Commission, because there is no doubt that the current needs, from energy to defense but also from refugees, cannot be met by national budgets. This desire to act responsibly, but also solidarity, is also built through these very long meetings, Draghi said at the end of the European Council.
Gas from the US to Europe
“The United States has promised to help Europe, so the sanctions hit Europe much harder than the United States.” Joe Biden “He has indicated his willingness to help Europe”. The 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied gas in the United States “we will see how they are distributed, but in a proportion that does not cause disagreement. The important thing is to see if we have regasifiers. We have 3: one very large, two small, the minister Roberto Cingolani ordered Snam to buy two more floating ships, not on land. We hope to be able to absorb our share. “And as follows: After the first 15 billion cubic meters of LPG were shipped, the US has committed to offering another 50 billion cubic meters. And then there was also an availability from Canada.
Payments in rubles
Asking Russia to pay for the gas in rubles “is seen as a violation of existing contracts that stipulate payment must be made in euros or dollars. The Commission will now examine the legal aspects. However, we do not expect any reduction in deliveries. .
2% of GDP for military spending
The requirement of 2% of GDP in military spending is “because Russia invaded Ukraine on the basis of a logic belonging to other epochs, for this sudden reminder of a past thought to be forgotten it was proposed to confirm NATO Commitment, says Draghi. “It’s a commitment from 2006, all governments have always confirmed it. Now the need to arm ourselves is back, he adds.
About Salvini and Conte
“We must not lose ourselves in memories of how one should have been and what not. I think the most important thing is to look ahead. Then these reckonings are made with conscience, but also with one’s own voters. Not now. In Brussels, Draghi answered a question referring to the league secretary, Matteo Salviniand to the leader of the M5S, Giuseppe Conte.
Expenditure on technological adaptation
Regarding defence, “can European spending be better coordinated? Certainly yes. But this spending on technological adaptation is necessary and urgent, all the experts tell me,” Draghi pointed out.
“We hope for a peace table soon”
“The best way to show you want peace is to cease hostilities and sit down at the table. If you don’t, hope to gain ground, eventually a peace table will come, but we hope that it will arrive before the total destruction of the country. “Ukraine,” Draghi added, explaining the meaning of the words “Putin doesn’t want peace” uttered by the Prime Minister. “Efforts to be able to talk to Putin have not yielded anything, but they are necessary, the day this changes we will be there,” he added, “to date there has been no demonstration of a ceasefire, the bombings continued.