BRUSSELS, 26 March 2022, (TON): The US and EU announced a task force Friday aimed at reducing Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels in the face of Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

A statement said “the initiative being unveiled by President Joe Biden and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will see the US work with partners to strive to supply Europe with an extra 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas this year.”

The push comes as EU member states wrangle over calls for the bloc to ban Russia’s key energy exports to punishment President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.

The Baltics and Poland are urging counterparts to pull the trigger but others, including economic powerhouse Germany, remain reluctant to impose a sudden rupture given their reliance on Russian gas imports.

Germany said Friday it was drastically slashing its energy purchases from Russia amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with oil imports to be halved by June and coal deliveries to end by the autumn.

The EU has already announced ambitious plans to slash its imports of Russian gas by two-thirds this year and eliminate imports entirely before the end of the decade.