Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, has called for the EU to impose duties on Russian oil, gas and coal.
In an interview published on the website of Bild, a German newspaper, on Wednesday, Morawiecki said the introduction of duties would help countries that have stopped importing Russian fuels.
“Poland has submitted a motion to the European Commission for the imposition of an EU duty to the tune of about 35 per cent on Russian oil, gas and coal,” Morawiecki told Bild. “Everyone who imposes an embargo must bear the higher costs of LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas – editor’s note) or oil from other sources. It will be fair when the cost of importing Russian energy increases significantly.”
He added that Poland had already halted coal imports from Russia and demanded a greater effort from other European countries. “A mere embargo is insufficient, we must also make it impossible for Putin to sell oil at discount prices to other countries, for example to India,” Morawiecki said.
Addressing Russia’s decision to cut off gas supplies to Poland Morawiecki said Poland was ready to deal with the disruption to fuel supplies.
“Poland is prepared,” Morawiecki told Bild. “We have built a liquid gas terminal to compensate for shortages. The Baltic Pipe gas pipeline is also almost ready to send gas from Norway. We will not be blackmailed.”
“We also won’t pay roubles for Russian gas,” the prime minister continued, going on to say Russia’s actions had shown its economic and contract trustworthiness to be “zero.”