Fearing Russia could shut the taps this winter, the European Union agreed to a deal Tuesday to curb natural gas consumption starting next week, the latest show of resolve and solidarity in its push and shove with the Kremlin over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The deal highlighted the continued ability of the EU to forge agreement, even if blunted by compromise, and signified an important step in managing its dependence on Russian energy and overcoming divisions in the face of Russian threats.
“Today, the EU has taken a decisive step to face down the threat of a full gas disruption by Putin,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said in a statement soon after the agreement was reached.
