Sanna Marin: EU must end dependency on Russian oil

Friday is the second day of the EU summit in Versailles, focusing on efforts to make the EU more self-sufficient in terms of strategic and energy policies. The informal two-day summit of EU leaders continued at the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris on Friday. #Versailles #France #Marin #Russia #Ukraine #Energy #Finland Speaking to the media before the meeting, Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) said that Finland had reservations about certain proposed measures, such as price regulation, to respond to the European energy crisis. "Finland has emphasised measures that help the member states themselves to make these investments, this transition. We are much more cautious about combined efforts when it comes to energy," Marin said. Finland's PM added that the EU must end its dependence on Russian oil as soon as possible. "It is a very difficult situation that we have these very tough economic sanctions on the one hand, and on the other hand we are financing the Russian war by buying oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels from Russia," she told reporters. The main topic at the summit on Friday will be Russia's attack on Ukraine. Specifically, leaders are expected to discuss how the EU can respond to the costs of the war. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, announced that the EU Commission plans to provide further support to the Ukrainian army with additional spending of 500 million euros. An increase in defence spending, coupled with reducing dependence on Russian energy, would be a costly proposition for the EU. The transition to a green economy and finding new energy suppliers have also been among the topics discussed in Versailles. Marin: Statement on Ukraine's relationship with EU balanced On the first day of the meeting, EU leaders discussed Ukraine's application for EU membership. The result was a statement that the EU was strengthening its partnership with Ukraine, but held back on accelerating Ukraine's membership bid. Marin said the EU's position reflected a balanced approach to Ukraine's EU hopes. "It sends a message of hope to Ukraine that they have a future as part of Europe, working more closely with the rest of us. However, at the same time, there also needs to be a realism about Ukraine's path to EU membership," she said. The European Union's economic and strategic autonomy will be top of the agenda at an informal two-day meeting of its leaders, starting on Thursday in Versailles, France. Discussions at the casual summit, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, are expected to build on unity developed around the Ukraine crisis, the bloc's dependence on imported energy and its reliance on the NATO military alliance. In a published invitation letter to members of the European Council ahead of the meeting, its chief Charles #Michel said: "In the light of recent events, it is more urgent than ever that we take decisive steps toward building our sovereignty, reducing our dependencies and designing a new growth and investment model." https://eudebates.tv/ #eudebates