Europe is ‘economically vulnerable’ to gas crisis as Russian cuts continue: Freeland

'We have a political responsibility to do whatever we can to help them with this energy crisis that they are going through,' Freeland said, speaking about Europe.

Europe is in a “very economically vulnerable position,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland warned, as Russia continues to strangle its flow of gas to the region.

Speaking to reporters outside a hydrogen production facility in Alberta on Thursday, Freeland reiterated that Canadians must recognize the energy challenge European countries are facing.

“We have a political responsibility to do whatever we can to help them with this energy crisis that they are going through,” Freeland said.

“They know that Canada is there, and we are working on all the practical ways that we can support Europe.”

Last year, 40 per cent of the natural gas supplied to the EU came from Russia, according to the BBC — and Germany led the pack as the largest importer of Russian gas in 2020.

But Germany has been experiencing a reduction in the power source as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.

The Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom reduced gas deliveries from its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs to northeastern Germany, by 60 per cent in June, citing turbine-related technical problems.

Earlier this month, Canada granted an exemption to the economic sanctions issued against Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.