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Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani believes that the European Union must maintain a consistent position on purchasing Russian gas and oil if it wants to force Russia to come to the negotiating table.
His remarks were quoted by broadcaster Rai, UATV English reports.
The Italian foreign minister argued that Europeans should remain committed to their position on Russian energy resources, especially given that alternative sources of supply have already been found.
“I believe we should not buy Russian gas because when you take a position, you have to stick to it—I mean consistency. We are being consistent. We said that we would not buy Russian oil and gas, we have very good alternatives, and we are moving forward,” Tajani said.
The Italian minister added that Rome is also developing nuclear energy in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
According to Tajani, the ban on purchasing Russian oil and gas is crucial if Moscow is to be forced into negotiations.
“I believe it is right to act and move forward consistently because if we want to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table, we need to send him signals. If we are tough in one area and then soft in another, he will continue to pursue his own interests,” the foreign minister noted.
According to European intelligence assessments, the Russian economy has entered an “explosive state” as a result of its transition to a wartime footing, meaning that a large-scale sanctions package against the banking sector or a sustained decline in oil prices could act as a trigger.
In April, Swedish military intelligence stated that excess oil revenues had failed to revive the Russian economy, which remains in a difficult situation.
Meanwhile, Latvia’s Constitution Protection Bureau noted that officials inside Russia acknowledge that sanctions have caused—and will continue to cause—significant damage to the country.
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