EU Publishes Plans to end Reliance on Russian Gas and Oil

The European Union announced plans to end dependence on Russia's gas, oil, and coal by 2027, introducing measures to expand renewable energy faster, saving more energy, and importing non-Russian fuels. 

Gas warms homes, produces electricity, and powers factories throughout Europe. The EU is moving away from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, but Russia now supplies 40% of gas and 27% of oil imports. This is a major dependence that the EU has vowed to end after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To accelerate the green transition, the European Commission has proposed to source 45% of EU energy from renewable energy sources by 2030, replacing the current proposal of 40%. In 2020, the EU covered 22% of total final energy consumption from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass.

Russian soldiers facing the first war crimes trial since the beginning of the war pleaded guilty to the murder of Ukrainian citizens. Sergeant Vadim Shyshimarin pleaded guilty to charges during his trial in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the United States, several global development banks, and other groups announced on Wednesday plans for billions of dollars to stop the global food security crisis exacerbated by the Russian war in Ukraine.