Italian Foreign Minister called the “fair” cost of gas

ROME, Sep 9 – PRIME. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio believes that the European Union needs to limit the cost of buying Russian gas to 80 euros per megawatt per hour.

“There is a very important meeting of EU energy ministers on Friday, and we must set a maximum gas ceiling. If Putin has raised the price of gas to more than 270 euros per megawatt hour, it’s time to set a ceiling that says not to exceed 80 euros” , Di Maio said during a trip to Naples to present a report on Italy’s foreign trade.

The price of gas on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange rose to almost 221 euros per megawatt-hour on Thursday after falling the day before, when the price of gas was fixed at around 213 euros. Di Maio, speaking about 270 euros per MW/h, most likely had in mind the trading data on Monday, the price of gas in Europe rose sharply against the backdrop of the shutdown of Nord Stream.

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has previously stated the need to introduce a price ceiling for Russian gas. At the end of August, she also announced that the EC is working on prompt and longer-term measures to improve the situation against the backdrop of rising electricity prices in the EU, which mainly depend on the cost of blue fuel. According to Politico, citing European Commission documents containing proposals to overcome the energy crisis, the EU wants to limit the price of gas from Russia to 50 euros per megawatt-hour, but consider this measure risky.

After the start of a special military operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine, the West stepped up sanctions pressure on Russia, which led to an increase in prices for electricity, fuel and food in Europe and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy for the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy. According to him, the main goal of the West is to worsen the lives of millions of people.