Sunday, 13 Jul 2025
America Age
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Font ResizerAa
America AgeAmerica Age
Search
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
America Age > Blog > World > S. Korean, Indonesian leaders agree to boost economic ties
World

S. Korean, Indonesian leaders agree to boost economic ties

Enspirers | Editorial Board
Share
S. Korean, Indonesian leaders agree to boost economic ties
SHARE

AFP

EU to cut Russian gas use as missiles strike Ukraine

The European Union agreed to reduce gas consumption to break its dependence on Russia on Tuesday, as missile strikes on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast cast doubt on a grain export deal. The effort to help Germany wean itself off Russian gas for the winter came as Turkey announced a meeting in Russia next week between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Erdogan wants Turkey — on good terms with both Moscow and Kyiv — at the centre of diplomatic efforts to halt the five-month war, just as the EU took another big step to cut ties to Moscow. The EU gas use cut, approved by energy ministers in Brussels, was hailed as an effective response to Russia’s manipulation of its energy wealth as an economic weapon. The plan nominally commits EU countries to reduce their gas use by 15 percent during the winter, although exceptions were carved out for some countries and Hungary rejected the deal as “useless”. “We have made a huge step towards securing gas supplies for our citizens and economies for the upcoming winter,” said Czech industry minister Jozef Sikela, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. “I know the decision was not easy, but I think at the end, everybody understands that this sacrifice is necessary,” he added. Hungary was the only country to oppose the plan, which passed on a majority vote, further isolating Budapest as the only member state reluctant to go further against Russia. “This is an unjustifiable, useless, unenforceable and harmful proposal that completely ignores national interests,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. The deal “serves purely communication purposes, and aims to save the credibility of some Western European politicians”, he added. – German ‘mistake’ – Germany, the EU’s economic powerhouse, is hugely dependent on Russian gas. Berlin takes a major share of the 40 percent of EU gas imports that came from Russia last year. “It is true that Germany, with its dependence on Russian gas, has made a strategic mistake but our government is working… to correct this,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said. The plan asks member states to voluntarily reduce gas use by 15 percent — based on a five-year average for the months in question — starting next month and over the subsequent winter through March. The target will be adapted to the situation of each country, taking into account their level of stocks and whether or not they have pipelines to share gas. Exceptions were given for island states like Ireland, Cyprus or Malta and to Spain or Portugal, which have limited links to the interconnected gas supply grid. Baltic countries will be exempted if their electricity connections with Russia’s grid were to be cut. In the final proposal, EU member countries also rewrote an earlier European Commission plan to give Brussels — rather than the member states — the power to impose gas use cuts in an emergency. The regulation now foresees the possibility to trigger a “Union alert” that would make the target mandatory, but the decision would lie with member states, a statement said. The deal landed a day after Gazprom said it is cutting daily gas deliveries intended for Europe to about 20 percent of capacity from Wednesday. Gazprom claimed technical reasons for choking off supply, but EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson dismissed this claim. “This is a politically motivated step and we have to be ready for that and exactly for that reason the pre-emptive reduction of our gas demand is a wise strategy,” she said. The extent of Russia’s split with the West over Ukraine was also underlined by Moscow’s announcement that it would quit the International Space Station after 2024. Until now space exploration was one of the few areas where cooperation between Russia, the United States and its allies had not been wrecked by tensions over Ukraine and elsewhere. The decision to leave the ISS programme “has been made”, Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov told Putin. – Strikes near Odessa – Meanwhile, fighting continued in Ukraine. Kyiv said Russian forces launched multiple missile strikes at targets on the Black Sea coast near the southern port city of Odessa and in Mykolaiv. The attacks come days after Russian strikes hit Odessa, calling into question a breakthrough deal to resume exports of grain from Ukraine, that have been disrupted by Moscow’s invasion. Rescuers were working on the ground near Odessa where “residential buildings” near the coast were hit in the strikes, Ukraine’s southern military command said on Facebook. bur-arp/dc/raz

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Biden, Xi could meet in person, US official says Biden, Xi could meet in person, US official says
Next Article Biden-Xi call to take place Thursday morning Biden-Xi call to take place Thursday morning

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
InstagramFollow
LinkedInFollow
MediumFollow
QuoraFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad image

Popular Posts

Packers Elevate QB From Apply Squad

(Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos)   The Inexperienced Bay Packers secured their first win of…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Abba Kyari: Nigerian ‘super cop’ arrested in drug cartel case

Commander Abba Kyari is accused of trying to recruit fellow officers into a drug plotA…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Anthony Edwards Has Sincere Admission About Playoff Loss

(Picture by David Berding/Getty Photographs)   A yr in the past, the Minnesota Timberwolves have…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Burkina Faso coup: African Union condemns military takeover

Burkina Faso's neighbours have condemned Friday's apparent coup, saying it was "inappropriate" for army rebels…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

You Might Also Like

Australia information reside: Chinese language surveillance ‘won’t be sudden’ as Talisman Sabre battle video games start, Conroy says; Queensland premier declares CFMEU inquiry
World

Australia information reside: Chinese language surveillance ‘won’t be sudden’ as Talisman Sabre battle video games start, Conroy says; Queensland premier declares CFMEU inquiry

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting family members in West Financial institution, says household
World

Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting family members in West Financial institution, says household

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Starmer and Reeves promised honesty about public funds. Can they keep the course?
World

Starmer and Reeves promised honesty about public funds. Can they keep the course?

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Thames Water spent £136m on securing emergency funding, leaked doc suggests
World

Thames Water spent £136m on securing emergency funding, leaked doc suggests

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
America Age
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


America Age: Your instant connection to breaking stories and live updates. Stay informed with our real-time coverage across politics, tech, entertainment, and more. Your reliable source for 24/7 news.

Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?