Europe is in for 5 to 10 'difficult' winters as energy prices soar, Belgian prime minister says
Europe could be in for a stretch of long, hard winters as energy prices surge to record highs amid the war in Ukraine.
"The next 5 to 10 winters are going to be difficult," said Belgian Prime Minster Alexander De Croo at an event in Belgium on Monday, as reported by broadcaster"In a number of sectors, it is really difficult to deal with those high energy prices. We are monitoring this closely, but we must be transparent: the coming months will be difficult, the coming winters will be difficult.
De Croo's comments come as Europe faces an energy crunch exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine. The continent depends on Russia for its natural gas needs, importing about 40% of its fuel from the country. But Russia has slowed gas flows via the key citing technical issues. European officials say the move is retaliation against sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.