Matteo Salvini says removing EU sanctions is important to avoid an economic crisis
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called on the European Union to resume imports of Russian oil and gas, saying that the union should prioritize energy security.
The war in the Middle East has exacerbated Europe’s energy crisis, as disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz—a major route that handles nearly 20% of global oil and natural gas flows—have driven up oil prices by up to 70% since February.
Speaking in a “Patriots for Europe” rally in Piazza Duomo in Milan on Saturday, Salvini, leader of Italy’s Lega party, claimed that the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and “The ideological beast called the Green Deal” they were holding back the country’s economy. He called for the repeal of the European Union’s ban on importing energy from Russia.
“To deal with the energy crisis, the rules of the Stability Pact must be suspended and Italian money must be used to help Italians in crisis,” he told supporters, urging Brussels to follow the United States and remove the sanctions it is “Blocking the trade and purchase of Russian oil.”
The United States has temporarily eased restrictions on some Russian oil exports after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to “enemy ships” to respond to US and Israeli airstrikes. The license previously allowed the sale of oil loaded on ships before March 12 to April 11, and was extended on Friday to allow the purchase of oil and petroleum products loaded from that date until May 16.
“If the US is doing it, then Brussels should do the same: instead of closing factories, schools and hospitals, we should go back to buying gas and oil from all over the world, including Russia. We are not at war with Russia,” Salvini said.
In January, the EU formally approved a plan to end Russian pipeline gas by 2027, overriding objections from Slovakia and Hungary. Hungary challenged the move at the EU’s top court in February, and Slovakia has said it will follow suit. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the ban includes “a clear violation of all the principles on which EU treaties are based.”
