European Union vows 'coordinated response' against Russia's gas stoppage

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, on Wednesday (April 27) vowed that the bloc will give Russia a ''coordinated response'' after it blocked gas supply to its members Poland and Bulgaria.

Calling Russian gas giant Gazprom's announcement "unjustified and unacceptable", Leyen said it was ''yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail.''

However, Gazprom said it made the decision after Poland and Bulgaria failed to make their payments for gas in roubles.

According to Von der Leyen, “Member States have put in place contingency plans for just such a scenario and we worked with them in coordination and solidarity.”

“We are mapping out our coordinated EU response. We will also continue working with international partners to secure alternative flows,” she told the news agency Reuters.

Officials of the EU are holding emergency talks after Russia's abrupt decision to turn off supplies to the nations of the bloc.

Defence experts have called the move Russia's toughest response yet to the sanctions imposed on Moscow due its invasion of Ukraine.

“Alternative supplies are available, and Bulgaria hopes that alternative routes and supplies will also be secured at EU level,” said Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov.

“As long as I am Minister, Bulgaria will not negotiate under pressure, Bulgaria is not for sale and does not succumb to any trade counterpart,” Nikolov added.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol tweeted that Russia's decision is a “weaponisation of energy supplies”.

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Russia is Europe's largest supplier of natural gas and petroleum oils but the bloc has been trying to boycott it after Moscow's ''special military operation'' in Ukraine.

The bloc is trying to find an alternative for it as currently it gas storage is only 32 per cent but it wants to fill it 80 per cent by November.

(With inputs from agencies)