EU leadership convene to discuss Greece austerity, Russian energy

Global Business

Elsewhere in Europe, the European Union’s long-running drama over whether Greece will remain in the Eurozone took center stage again. That is as EU leaders kicked off a two day meeting in Brussels. CCTV’s Jack Barton filed this report from Brussles.

Highlights: 

  • European Union leaders began their summit in Brussels discussing Greece, which needs to unlock bailout money to stave of default, but is also sounding increasingly defiant over the county’s current rollback of austerity.
  • On the sidelines of the summit, Alexis Tsipras held a special meeting with the leaders of Germany and France as well as the heads of key EU institutions and the European Central Bank.
  • Germany’s chancellor said her country would support an extension of the current sanctions targeting Russia, arguing they should only be repealed once there is clear evidence the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is working.
  • The European commission is seeking an agreement under which gas and electricity would flow freely across borders in an open market, which could theoretically weaken Russia’s ability to set prices.