EU Urges Southeast Asia to Diversify Oil Supply without Leaning on Russia

The European Union would prefer Southeast Asian countries to diversify their oil supply by buying oil from producers other than Russia, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday during meetings of representatives with ASEAN countries. Southeast Asian economies such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam were the first to feel fuel shortages after the blocked Strait of Hormuz cut off most of their regular crude and fuel supply from the Middle East. The Philippines, which sourced 98% of all its oil from the Middle…