Photo: kremlin.ru
Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to hit the most vulnerable position of EU leaders. This is their election assessment, according to The Wall Street Journal.
We are talking about the decision of the Russian leader to change the payment terms for gas supplies to Europe. The European economy is based on cheap imports of Russian energy resources, notes the WSJ.
The publication states that elections in major European economies will take place closer to the winter of 2023. households as well as in European companies. Germany in particular is seriously dependent on Russian blue fuel. In Germany at the time, “the election test will begin in October with the regional elections in Lower Saxony.”
Another major importer of Russian gas & ndash; Italy. The country is also facing national elections in mid-2023.
What is happening will be an extremely difficult test for European leaders, the article said. With soaring energy costs, it will be difficult for them to achieve the desired results.
The WSJ added that European governments will have to increase spending so that the blow to consumers is not so strong. This also applies to France. There, President Emmanuel Macron approved the allocation of 28 billion euros. They should help reduce gas prices and also provide discounts on petrol.
Italy has introduced tax incentives to reduce energy costs for low-income households and some businesses. And the authorities have reduced the fuel tax. They have reduced prices at consumer service stations.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that most European companies had switched to paying Russian gas in rubles. He added that approximately 90-95% of the volume of gas supplied to Europe was already paid in Russian currency.
Previously, Gazprom had completely cut off gas supplies to the Danish company Orsted Salg & amp; Service, as well as the German group Shell Energy Europe. All this due to lack of payments in rubles. At the same time, 2/3 of the total volume of gas supplies to Denmark was made by Gazprom Export in 2021.
And on April 22, Poland also stopped taking Russian gas for the same reason. On the morning of April 27, Gazprom completely suspended the supply of “blue fuel”. The Bulgarian company & quot; Bulgargaz & quot; and the Polish counterpart PGNiG in connection with the refusal to switch to the new payment scheme.