EU High Representative: Russia uses energy as tool for political influence 

The crises in and around Ukraine and Belarus are unfolding against a backdrop of high gas prices in Europe, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, Report informs.

According to him, 40% of EU gas imports come from Russia, principally through three transit routes: Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic Sea.

Russia has used energy as a tool for political influence (see, for instance, in Moldova), and while it is strictly speaking fulfilling its commitments on gas supplies, many see its current refusal to increase export volumes to Europe or to re-fill Gazprom-owned storage facilities as a means to exert pressure on the EU and specifically to secure the regulatory licensing of Nord Stream 2.