European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement in Brussels, Belgium April 27 after Russian energy giant Gazprom decided to halt gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images)
Poland and Bulgaria receive gas from their EU neighbors, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
This comes after Russian energy giant Gazprom halted 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 provocation by the Kremlin” and accused Moscow of “blackmailing” the bloc with gas.
“The European Commission has prepared for this in close coordination and solidarity with the Member States and international partners. Our response will be immediate, united and coordinated,” she said in a statement. “First, we will ensure that Gazprom’s decision has the least possible impact on European consumers. Today the Member States met in the Gas Coordination Group. Poland and Bulgaria informed us about the situation. Both Poland and Bulgaria are now buying gas from their EU neighbors.”
The official also stressed the need for reliable energy partners and promised the end of the Russian fossil fuel era in Europe.
Further, in the statement, it pledged to ensure a “medium-term” plan for sufficient gas supply and storage, and also looked forward to investing in a “green transition”.
“In the long term, REPowerEU will also help us in the transition to a more reliable, safer and more sustainable energy supply. In mid-May we will present our plans to accelerate the green transition. Every euro we invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency is a down payment 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,” Bulgaria’s Energy Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
At a briefing in the capital Sofia, Bulgaria’s Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov said: “Consumption of natural gas in Bulgaria is guaranteed for at least a month in advance and at the moment there is no need to limit consumption.”
Nikolov said a warning was received from Russia’s Gazprom on Tuesday that supplies would be halted. He said that the Bulgarian gas operator Bulgargaz has fulfilled all its obligations under the current contract and that Gazprom is not fulfilling the contractual obligations on the part of the supplier.
“It is obvious that in the current war situation in Ukraine, Russia is using natural gas as a political and economic weapon,” Nikolov said, adding that Bulgaria would not hold talks under pressure.
Bulgarian natural gas operators have ensured continuity of “alternative supply”, the ministry said.
“Our country is a loyal partner in existing contracts and we will not jeopardize deliveries to our neighbors,” said Nikolov.
CNN’s Radina Gigova contributed to this post.