EU, US vow to help Ukraine on energy independence
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States and the European Union have vowed to help Ukraine reduce its dependence on Russia for energy supplies.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that they will seek to provide Ukraine gas through Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. At the same time, both sides are working to get more gas from Asia to Europe through Azerbeijan and Turkey instead of over Russian soil.
In the wake of Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, Europe's energy dependency has come to be a political liability which could undermine a strong joint response to Moscow.
Kerry said that "no nation should use energy to stymie a people's aspirations."
The U.S. and EU said they will also work on reducing other European countries' reliance on Russian gas.
