Blake Leonard, head of wine and spiritual drinks at Stew Leonard, tells “morning with Maria” about the uncertainty of consumer amid President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 200 % tariff on European alcohol.
the European Commission It works to suggest to cut Russian oil and gas imports after facing criticism for strong dependence on Russian President Vladimir Putin for energy.
The proposal is expected to vote on May 6, although the specified date may change.
“It will be a comprehensive plan for gradual disposal Russian fossil fuels “The European Energy Market, a spokeswoman for the European Energy market, said,” The European Energy Market has refused to share any other details.
The deal may include an increase in US natural gas imports, and commissioner Ursula von der Lin suggested in the past.
The European Union spent more on Russian fossil fuels than Ukrainian aid in 2024

European Commission President Ursula von der Lin (Reuters/Yves Hermann)
The European Union is currently dependent on the United States for about half of the LNG. president Donald Trump He said that Europe should compensate for the US trade deficit by buying more US fuel supplies.
“They will have to buy their energy from us, because they need it,” Trump said last week.
The European Union spent about 23 billion dollars on Russian oil and gas imports last year, exceeding $ 19.6 billion that it provided with financial aid to Ukraine, which was Trump criticized in his joint speech to Congress last month.
“Europe has unfortunately spent more money in buying Russian oil and gas more than they spent on the defense of Ukraine, to a large extent. Think about this: they spent more than the purchase of Russian oil and gas more than defense,” he said.
In 2024, Russia made up 19 % of the total gas in the European Union and LNG, a decrease from 45 % before the war began. While the bloc imposed Russian oil, it stopped imposing financial sanctions on gas imports.
In fact, natural gas shipments from Russia increased in 2024, increasing to 16.5 million metric tons from 15.2 million in the previous year.
Despite the western ban on raw and wonderful, Russian products Oil exports Only 8 % decreased since the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has achieved nearly $ 1 trillion of oil exports since February 2022.
Russia relied on its “shadow” fleet consisting of 585 oil tankers to transfer many of its exports, which aim to hide its origins. Russia purchases aging ships from European owners, and it often reflects and uses coincidence companies to hide their Russian origins.
Russia is also exporting oil to third -party countries that did not put sanctions on Moscow, which in turn sells it to the West.

Russian oil and gas exports made up 19 % of fuel supplies in Europe. (Reuters/Fabrizio Pinch)
The proposal was originally published in March, but was partially postponed due to fears that it may be banned by Hungary and Slovakia, the two countries that depend more on the imports of Russian fuel.
Hungary, which was sympathetic to the Russian war effort, threatened to prevent gas sanctions, which need unanimous approval from the 27 -member mass.
The European Union will have a “difficult” time in the nomination of new gas agreements while working under the goal of net climate emissions, according to the CEO of Argent Lngan Pass.

Russia relied on its “shadow” fleet consisting of 585 oil tankers to transfer many of its exports. (Reuters/Eurok ISIK/File)
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“They cannot sign a 20 -year agreement from the United States starting in 2030, when they have to get out of the gas by the European Union by 2050 or by Germany’s Rigs by 2040,” Bass told Fox News Digital.
“They need to know how to finish this 2050 plan, or at least push it to 2070, so they give these European companies the included to be able to contract with the American molecules.”
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