OREANDA-NEWS. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said following a special meeting that the situation around Ukraine affects the price of gas in Europe, TASS reports.

He said that European countries are experiencing a situation with high prices for fuel and energy resources.

“We in Austria and throughout Europe are now experiencing a strong increase in the prices of everyday goods, fuels, energy, especially electricity and heating,” Nehammer said.

According to him, this, among other things, is influenced by the situation around Ukraine.

“The situation there is more than tense. There are more signs that the Russian Federation now has sufficient military capacity to undertake a partial invasion,” the chancellor said.

He stressed that the population of Austria in the current situation feels the increase in prices, so the government has established an assistance package in the amount of €1.7 billion. Also, €150 will be allocated to all socially vulnerable residents of the country, as well as to needy households.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that more than 20 gas tankers are heading from the US to Europe amid attempts by the EU and Washington to find an alternative to Russian fuel.