The Local: EU may drop Russian gas, Merkel warns

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that Germany and Europe may have to review their energy cooperation with Russia in the long-term if the Ukraine standoff does not abate.

The EU depends on Russia for around 30 percent of its gas supplies, about half of which passes through Ukraine, Moscow's former Soviet satellite where pro-Russian separatist rebels have been fighting the Western-leaning government.

Merkel stressed that for now it was in the mutual interests of oil and gas power Russia - and the European Union and Germany - not to break their energy partnership.

"It's in the interest of both sides to cooperate," she told a Berlin joint press conference with Finland's visiting Prime Minister Alexander Stubb.
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