As European Union leaders wrapped their two-day summit in Versailles, France, on Friday, they did so without reaching consensus on one key issue: when to end the bloc’s outsize energy dependence on Russia.
In a joint statement filed Friday evening local time, EU leaders were unsparing in their condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country’s invasion of Ukraine, which leaders said “brought war back to Europe” and is inflicting “unspeakable” suffering on the population of Ukraine.
But after two days of intense discussions regarding both the future of Ukraine and to bloc’s own dependence on Russia, leaders failed to settle on a firm date as to when. On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested the bloc commit to 2027 as a firm deadline for ending the imports.
The reluctance comes as Europe seeks to diversify its own gas supply and rapidly accelerate the development of renewable energy, hoping to free itself from its ties to Russia, which provides 40% of the EU’s energy supplies and roughly 25% of its oil.