Member states opposed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to cap only Russian gas imports include Italy, Poland and Greece, officials said. The lack of consensus on the gas price cap means the proposal is likely to be discussed only briefly at an emergency meeting of energy ministers on Friday to agree measures to help consumers and companies in the energy crisis. they reported. Jozef Sikela, the Czech energy minister who will chair the meeting, said upon his arrival at the meeting on Friday: “We are in an energy war with Russia. Putin is trying, by manipulating the market, to break social peace in our countries, affect our way of life and attack our economies.” He added that ministers felt pressure to send “a clear message that will calm the markets” by the end of the day. The Kremlin has threatened to halt all deliveries to Europe in the event of an EU gas price cap. Russian gas supplies to the bloc have fallen by about 80 percent to about 84 million cubic meters per day since the start of the full scale of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Frankly, the Russians will probably retaliate against this,” Nikos Tsafos, chief energy adviser to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told the Financial Times. “Europe should have a strong voice and impose a reasonable price,” said Italy’s Energy Minister Roberto Cingolani, saying he too favored a blanket cap. “It’s a perfect storm against our citizens and our companies.” “Everyone fears a domino effect” if Russia cuts off supplies because European states are so interconnected, a senior EU official said. Portugal not importing Russian gas, what can you give back to the voters?’ Putin’s war in Ukraine has prompted Europe to try to reduce decades of dependence on Russian energy, exposing the bloc’s lack of short-term alternatives. Efforts to find new sources, combined with Moscow’s decision to cut pipeline inflows until sanctions are lifted, have sent European gas prices soaring, pushing up electricity prices across the continent and increasing the threat power outages and bills this winter.

Officials said imposing a price cap on Russian gas would likely require unanimous approval from all 27 EU states because it would be seen as a sanction of the bloc. A general cap on the price of natural gas could be voted by a qualified majority. Hungary, Austria and the Netherlands have expressed reservations about an overall cap. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a news conference in Rotterdam alongside von der Leyen on Thursday that the Netherlands has a “more positive view” of the Commission’s proposals for a Russian price cap. Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgium’s energy minister, said the disputes over gas price caps were mainly “technical issues that can be solved by people [at the commission]”. Proponents of a cap on the price of all natural gas imports suggest it be set above current prices in Asia and the US to ensure international traders have an incentive to send shipments to Europe. Kadri Simson, the EU’s energy commissioner, said she was due to meet Norway’s energy minister on Sunday as part of “ongoing work” to moderate high prices. EU ministers are also due to discuss on Friday a windfall levy on electricity producers and measures to reduce energy use. Additional reporting by Andy Bounds