Britain says countries dependent on Russian energy may need help

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Thursday the West should look at how it can help countries that are particularly dependent on Russian energy.

The United States on Tuesday announced a ban on Russian oil and gas imports, and Britain said it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022.

European Union leaders are set to agree on Thursday to cut their reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

But there is discord among the 27 countries as the EU is far more dependent on Russian energy than Britain or the United States.

Truss said in a speech at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington that Europe was heavily dependent on Russian energy, providing a vital source of revenue for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It must end,” she said. “We are working with our G-7 partners to cut this dependence once and for all, to put a ceiling on the percentage of Russian energy imports and committing to bring it down over time.”

“And we need to look at how we can help those countries especially dependent on Russian energy, and how we can increase supplies elsewhere.”