EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell called on all Europeans to reduce energy consumption at an individual level to reduce overall dependence on gas from Russia.

"The first thing we have to do is cut the umbilical cord that unites our economy with the Russian economy. And we can do that at the macro-political level, like yesterday The Commission did, with a new directive that aims to cut our dependence on Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of the year. A difficult goal, but achievable if we really apply ourselves to it. And that requires macroeconomic measures, technical measures, and also calls for European citizens to lower the heating in their homes, it also calls for everyone to make an individual effort to cut gas consumption, just as we cut water consumption when there is a drought and just as we put on a mask to combat the virus,” he said, speaking to MPs at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

According to him, people must systematically, on a permanent basis, reduce dependence on Russian gas. "Cut off the gas in your homes, decrease dependency on whoever attacks Ukraine and let’s engage more in a collective defense that is a treaty obligation that we have paid too little attention to so far," he concluded.