EU leaders seek ways to give support amid high energy prices

President of the European Council Charles Michel, left, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen arrive for a press conference after the EU summit at the Chateau de Versailles (Michel Euler/AP)

European Union leaders have agreed to phase out dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports “as soon as possible” and decided to draw up a plan soon to support the continent’s economies as they face skyrocketing energy prices amid a crisis aggravated by the war in Ukraine.

Heads of state and government, who gathered at the Versailles palace, west of Paris, said in a statement that the strategy will involve accelerating the reduction of an overall reliance on fossil fuels, diversifying supplies and routes for gas and oil, and speeding up the development of renewable energy. They asked the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, to make proposals by the end of May.