Von der Leyen called returning to Russian fuel a "strategic mistake"

Returning to Russian fossil fuels amid the war with Iran would be a "strategic mistake," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a speech in the European Parliament, as Europe continues to struggle with volatile energy prices, writes UNN.

The fact is that we have energy sources that we produce ourselves – renewable energy sources and nuclear energy. Their prices have remained unchanged for the last 10 days. However, in the current crisis, some argue that we should abandon our long-term strategy and even return to Russian fossil fuels. This would be a strategic mistake. It would make us more dependent, more vulnerable, and weaker. Therefore, we should stick to the course of our long-term strategy.

According to her, "while we can be more pragmatic and smarter in its implementation, the direction of movement is correct."

Since the beginning of the conflict, gas prices have risen by 50% and oil by 27%, and 10 days of war have cost European taxpayers an additional 3 billion euros in fossil fuel imports, she said. "This is the price of our dependence," von der Leyen emphasized.

Addition

These comments, WSJ notes, came immediately after a pledge on Tuesday to allocate 200 million euros to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies, as well as a European Commission initiative to increase investment in Europe's clean energy and lower energy prices.