Italian deputy PM calls for return to Russian energy imports

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called on the EU to resume imports of Russian oil and gas, arguing that the bloc should prioritize energy security.

The war in the Middle East has exacerbated Europe’s energy crisis, as disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz—a key route handling around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows—have pushed oil prices up by as much as 70% since February.

Speaking at a “Patriots for Europe” rally in Piazza Duomo in Milan on Saturday, Salvini, the leader of Italy’s Lega party, argued that the EU Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and the “ideological monster called the Green Deal” were holding back the country’s economy. He called for reversing the bloc’s ban on Russian energy imports.

“To tackle the energy crisis, the rules of the Stability Pact must be suspended and Italians’ money must be used to help Italians in difficulty,” he told supporters, urging Brussels to follow the US and lift sanctions that are “blocking the trade and purchase of Russian oil.”