European leaders are to seek ways of reducing their dependence on Russian gas at two days of talks in Brussels. <br /><br />Moscow’s incursion into Ukraine has raised concerns that the supply of energy could be used as a weapon in the East-West crisis.<br /><br />Member states are also expected to pledge to provide Ukraine with gas if needed.<br /><br />Ukraine, which has been cut off once before by Moscow for non-payment of bills, could benefit from a reverse -flow pipeline deal to ship gas from Slovakia. <br /><br />The talks are also expected to cover alternatives to imported gas including a debate on European “indigenous supplies”, which include renewable energy and shale gas. <br /><br />However Germany which has close energy ties with Russia is likely to stress that Gazprom has been a reliable supplier for decades.
