Side deals with Moscow thwart drive to wean Europe off Russian gas

(Reuters) - While officials in Brussels were calling for Europe to reduce its dependency on Russian natural gas and negotiate with Moscow as a bloc, Austria was quietly bypassing the European Commission to cut its own bilateral deal on building a pipeline.

Poland Says German Reliance on Russian Gas Threatens Europe

WARSAW -- Germany's reliance on Russian natural gas poses a threat to European sovereignty, Polish Prime Minister Doland Tusk warned Monday amid rising East-West tensions over Ukraine.