EU Recalls Envoy Over Controversial Russian Gas Deal

The European Commission has reprimanded its top representative in Vienna, Martin Selmayr, after he referred to Austria's purchases of Russian gas as "blood money." Selmayr's remarks were met with criticism from Austrian politicians, with the ruling party calling for his dismissal. While some parties agreed with Selmayr's characterization, the Commission stated that his choice of words breached protocol standards. Austria's reliance on Russian gas has been a subject of scrutiny, with the European Commission aiming to reduce the bloc's dependency on Russian fossil fuels through its "REPowerEU" plan.