Ukraine crisis: Kerry says energy should not be used as weapon

Ukraine crisis: Kerry says energy should not be used as weapon
(CNN) -- Energy supplies must not be used as a political weapon, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, at a EU-U.S. energy summit dominated by the simmering crisis in Ukraine.

His remarks in Brussels, Belgium, came 24 hours after Russian energy giant Gazprom announced a hefty increase in the price of natural gas it supplies to Ukraine.

Kerry, who spoke flanked by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said the European Union and United States were taking "important steps" to make it harder for one state to hold another hostage to energy supplies.

"No nation should use energy to stymie a people's aspirations," Kerry said. "We cannot allow it to be used as a political weapon or an instrument of aggression."

Europe and the United States are working together to reduce Ukraine's reliance on Russian energy by developing alternative sources for natural gas, he said, including the United States.

At the same time, Kerry said, Ukraine has agreed to work on reducing subsidies to make its energy market more efficient.

The International Monetary Fund last week agreed to lend Ukraine up to $18 billion over the next two years in return for a package of reforms, including to its energy market.plus size swimwear Wholesale Sexy Leggings