BERLIN, September 21. /TASS/. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that complete energy independence from global markets is both unrealistic and undesirable for the EU.
"Europe has been working for some time to improve the security of its energy supply. To this end, we are relying on local production and reliable, clean energy, thereby reducing our strategic dependence on unreliable suppliers, in some cases even to zero. We are accelerating the phaseout of Russian fossil fuels," von der Leyen told newspapers of the European LENA alliance, including Welt am Sonntag. She was responding to a question about earlier commitments to purchase $750 billion worth of liquefied natural gas from the US.
"Our goal in the field of energy supply is not to make Europe completely self-sufficient. Complete independence from global markets is unrealistic and undesirable," the EC president stressed. She explained that the European Union seeks to develop a broad international supply network, with oil, liquefied natural gas, and possibly hydrogen remaining part of the energy mix.
"The United States can be a reliable partner and an important component of this broad diversification strategy. This is reflected in the trade agreement between the EU and the US," she added.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the $750 billion figure covers a four-year period and is not binding. "Ultimately, European companies decide for themselves whether to buy or invest in the US, and to what extent," she noted.
Responding to a question about US President Donald Trump’s call to impose 100% tariffs on India and China, she stressed that "the EU will decide it for itself."
On July 27, von der Leyen and Trump reached an agreement under which Washington will impose 15% tariffs on around 75% of European goods imported into the US from August 1, instead of the 30% tariffs on all imports from Europe that had been threatened. In return, the Commission pledged to completely ban imports of Russian energy resources into the EU, purchase $750 billion worth of American oil, gas, nuclear equipment, and fuel, and invest $600 billion in the US economy.