Nauseda says EU proposals will help ease fuel crisis

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said proposals presented by the European Commission would help mitigate the fuel crisis.

"They are essentially adequate and aimed at alleviating the fuel market crisis," Nauseda said.

According to him, the measures can draw on the positive experience the European Union gained during the pandemic by offering the RRF facility and targeted measures for the most vulnerable business and population groups.

"And I hope that this will be done," Nauseda said.

He stressed that alongside short-term measures to "put out fires" now, there must be a clear vision of how to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the future, especially from Russia.

"Unfortunately, this is still a reality today and, I would say, the problems in the Strait of Hormuz have even prompted some leaders to think about whether we should return to Russian fossil fuels. I think this is a road to nowhere; it is a path that freezes the dependencies we had before, which created many problems for us," Nauseda explained.

"Lithuania’s example is completely different and the opposite; it is a transition to renewable energy sources, and it is truly remarkable that in a very short period, Lithuania has reached a point where 70 percent of our needs are met by renewable energy," the president said.

"This is the best path, which makes us free. It does not solve the fuel price crisis right now, but it prevents the kind of crises we are currently seeing in the Strait of Hormuz from spilling over into electricity prices," he continued.