Italy’s Salvini Demands EU Remove Ban on Russian Energy Imports

(MENAFN) Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini escalated pressure on Brussels Saturday, urging the European Union to abandon its ban on Russian energy imports and restore oil and gas purchases from Moscow as the bloc grapples with a deepening energy emergency.

Speaking before a crowd at a 'Patriots for Europe' rally in Milan, Salvini — who leads Italy's Lega party — laid blame for Europe's economic strain squarely on the EU's fiscal rulebook and its climate agenda, singling out the EU Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and what he called the "ideological monster called the Green Deal" as twin obstacles throttling growth.

The crisis has been dramatically worsened by the war in the Middle East. Disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that handles roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas — have driven oil prices up by as much as 70 percent since February.

"To tackle the energy crisis, the rules of the Stability Pact must be suspended and Italians' money must be used to help Italians in difficulty," Salvini told supporters, demanding that Brussels mirror Washington's approach and lift sanctions "blocking the trade and purchase of Russian oil."

His remarks came as the United States had already moved to ease certain restrictions on Russian oil shipments — a response to Iran's decision to close the Strait of Hormuz to "enemy ships" following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. A temporary license initially permitted the sale of oil loaded onto tankers before March 12 through April 11, and was extended Friday to cover purchases of oil and petroleum products loaded from that date through May 16.

Salvini drew a direct line between Washington's flexibility and what he argued Brussels should replicate.

"If the US is doing it, then Brussels should do the same: rather than shutting down factories, schools and hospitals, we should return to buying gas and oil from all over the world, including Russia. We are not at war with Russia," he said.

The remarks arrive at a legally contentious moment for the EU's energy policy. In January, the bloc formally adopted a roadmap to eliminate Russian pipeline gas by 2027, overriding opposition from Slovakia and Hungary. Hungary subsequently challenged the decision before the EU's highest court in February, and Slovakia has signaled it will file a similar legal challenge. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has argued the prohibition amounts to "a clear violation of all the principles on which the EU treaties are based."

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