Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the sabotage of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines could be advantageous for Europe because the continent may no longer be able to rely on Russian energy.
Blinken told reporters that Europe now has a “tremendous opportunity” to achieve energy independence since it can no longer rely on Russian gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1 and 2 during a press conference. After European nations discovered gas leaks in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 27, President Joe Biden and the European Union (EU) both said that the leaks were caused by a “deliberate act” of sabotage.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to once and for all remove the dependence on Russian energy and thus to take away from Vladimir Putin the weaponization of energy as a means of advancing his imperial designs,” Blinken stated.
Blinken also said that the U.S. would do everything it possibly can to alleviate the “consequences” of the sabotage as Europe is currently embroiled in an energy crisis.
According to @SecBlinken, the Nord Stream pipeline bombing “offers tremendous strategic opportunity for the years to come.” Too bad that this tremendous opportunity for DC bureaucrats will come at the expense of everyone else, especially this coming winter. pic.twitter.com/T2eacQUuBF
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) October 1, 2022
The EU approved a plan Friday to tax the profits of energy companies to help households pay exorbitant utility bills, according to Reuters. European households are struggling to pay soaring electricity bills as their natural gas shortages are being exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Moscow has continually cut gas deliveries to Europe, blaming EU sanctions for its inability to provide more fuel.
“Europe itself has taken very significant steps to both decrease demand but also look at ways to pursue the transition to renewables at the same time,” Blinken said.
Russian imports accounted for 40% of the EU’s total gas consumption in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. Natural gas accounted for 24% of the EU’s energy mix while renewables accounted for 17%, according to Eurostat.
The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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