European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's spending on imported fossil fuels had increased by more than €25 billion due to the US war on Iran, and stressed the need to develop its own sources – renewables and nuclear energy – to reduce vulnerability to crises.
Ursula von der Leyen announced this after an informal meeting of EU leaders in Cyprus, a correspondent for Suspilny reports.
According to her, costs have increased despite the fact that EU countries have not received additional energy.
“We need to develop our own, affordable and clean energy sources, that is, all types of renewable energy sources and, of course, nuclear energy as base load,” Ursula von der Leyen emphasized.
The President of the European Commission also announced the start of a discussion on the mutual defense clause provided for in Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty. According to her, it is important to clearly define the mechanisms for supporting a member state in case of need, as the Treaty currently does not specify who should act and when.
She also drew attention to the “gray zone” before the application of the mutual defense clause – a period of hybrid attacks, cyberattacks and disinformation. This time, she said, should be used to prevent escalation and de-escalation of conflicts.
“We are only at the beginning of this journey, but we are already working to complete the picture,” the President of the European Commission concluded.