US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken WASHINGTON Feb 7The United States is working with the European Union to prevent «shocks» in energy supplies that could result from the development of the crisis around Ukraine, said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. «We are working together right now to protect Europe's energy supply from shocks, including those that could result from aggression against Ukraine,» he said after a meeting of the US-EU Energy Council. The Americans warn that further aggravation of the situation around Ukraine threatens the export of Russian gas, and offer Europeans assistance in organizing supplies from alternative sources. «When Russia suspended gas supplies to Europe because of the dispute with Ukraine in 2009, people were dying from the cold. When energy supplies fail, economies stall,» Blinken said at a press conference with EU diplomat Josep Borrell. «We are determined to prevent this and minimize the consequences for energy supplies and prices for them, if Russia decides to cut The supply of natural gas to Europe is even greater than it has already done,” he added. Kiev and Western states have recently been constantly claiming that Russia is stepping up “aggressive actions” near the borders of Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is moving troops within its territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and should not worry anyone. Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations by the West and Ukraine of «aggressive actions», stating that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and statements about «Russian aggression» are used as an excuse to place more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously noted that Western statements about «Russian aggression» and the ability to help Kiev defend itself against it are both ridiculous and dangerous. >Borrell says Russia is using energy supplies as a weapon against the EU
