'Europe will feel consequences of rejection of Russian energy for another 20 years'

Moscow, Oct 9 (IANS) Europe will feel the negative consequences of the rejection of Russian energy resources in the next 20 years, Press Secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov said, RT reported."The Europeans kept repeating, like a mantra, that it was necessary to get rid of dependence on Russia for energy resources, oil and gas," he said.As a result, in European countries today "production is being curtailed, de-industrialisation is on the way", he said."All this, and, probably, in the next 10-20 years, at least, will have very, very deplorable consequences for the European continent," Peskov said, RT reported.Earlier, Oleg Tyapkin, director of the third European department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that Germany's complete refusal to import Russian gas within two years would lead to an economic crisis there.Central heating will be restricted in Italy this winter, as it becomes the latest country to take action on European gas supply shortages sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, BBC reported.Under a new government decree, buildings will face an extra fifteen days without central heating.Italians will also be told to turn their heating down by one degree, and off for an extra hour a day.Some buildings will be exempt, including nurseries and hospitals.The move comes as governments across Europe look to reduce demand and shore up energy supplies ahead of winter, BBC reported.Many were dependent on gas from Russia, which has been restricted following the war in Ukraine.Before February's invasion, Italy was the second-largest importer of Russian gas in the EU, with imports making up 40 per cent of its total supply.
--IANS san/vd

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