US President Joseph Biden has announced a new initiative to deprive Russia of energy sales.
This was reported by CNN.
Speaking in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden said Russia was using its oil and gas supplies to "coerce and manipulate its neighbours". According to him, the United States will help Europe reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas and provide the continent with sufficient energy supplies for the next two winters.
"It will take some time to set up gas supply chains and infrastructure, so we need to make sure that families in Europe can survive this winter and next while we build," Biden said.
Biden and von der Leyen have announced the creation of a joint task force to help Europe get rid of its dependence on Russian oil and gas. The group, chaired by the White House and the European Commission, is looking for alternative sources of liquefied natural gas and is working to reduce demand for natural gas in the future.
"I know that giving up Russian gas will be costly to Europe, but not only is it morally correct, it will also strengthen our strategic positions," said the US President.
The United States will work to supply at least 15 bn cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Europe in 2022 in partnership with other countries, the White House said.
According to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, the West made a terrible mistake by allowing President Vladimir Putin to avoid responsibility for the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war against Ukraine in 2014. According to him, after such criminal acts, trade with Russia not only continued but also intensified, and European countries became even more dependent on Russian gas.
"The United States has already announced an embargo on Russian oil imports. Britain will do the same. The EU has agreed to abandon usage of Russia's energy resources as soon as possible. And we will work as much as possible with them and all the supporters of the free world to work together and make this transition easier for all of us," Boris Johnson promised.
The United Kingdom has announced that it will stop buying Russian oil by the end of 2022.
The EU has imposed sanctions, including a ban on new investments in Russia's energy sector.