Anna Moskwa told the media she had put the idea forward at an emergency meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels earlier in the day, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
She told a briefing that countries were helping Ukraine independently of each other and needed to coordinate their efforts.
“Such a mechanism is indispensable so that Ukraine doesn’t have to send its requests and messages to every European country,” she said.
EU roundtable on energy support for Ukraine
Moskwa said she had proposed that the EU hold a roundtable meeting on energy support to Ukraine on Monday, May 9. She added that member states were now deciding on the venue.
“The closer to Ukraine, the better, maybe the meeting will take place in Warsaw,” she told reporters.
The get-together is set to explore ways to provide Ukraine with more energy resources and rebuild its infrastructure shattered by the Russian invasion, according to Moskwa.
Solidarity fee from EU buyers of Russian energy?
Moskwa also proposed that EU buyers of Russian energy pay a so-called solidarity fee to the bloc.
“All the countries that are dependent on Russian natural resources ... would pay a sort of tax, or a tariff, or a fee,” she said.
She added that "member countries are ready to take up this initiative" and "understand the mechanism.”
Moskwa also said that Poland would push for the solidarity mechanism if a total ban on Russian energy could not be agreed.
“It’s the least we can do to support de-Russification of energy policy,” she told reporters.
Before departing for Brussels earlier on Monday, Moskwa said that "in Poland’s view, the solidarity fee should be no more than a temporary measure before a total embargo is slapped on Russian oil and gas."
Poland to ditch Russian hydrocarbons this year, EU to phase out Russian oil?
These latest developments came after Poland announced a plan to wean itself off Russian coal, oil and gas by the end of the year.
Last week, Russia stopped its gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, citing their refusal to pay for the resource in Russian roubles.
The EU said that completing the payments in roubles would be in breach of existing sanctions against the Kremlin.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has offered assurances that his country will no longer need Russian gas.
Meanwhile, the EU is expected to announce a sixth round of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine later this week, according to news outlets.
The new punitive measures are set to include phasing out Russian oil by the end of 2022, the Bloomberg news agency reported at the weekend.
Monday was day 68 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters