NEW YORK, September 22. /TASS/. The coming winter will be difficult for European countries due to low gas storage levels and supply problems, including those stemming from the EU’s policy toward Russia, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said at an energy forum organized by Foreign Policy.

Birol said that Europe was facing a very harsh winter and that it could be one of the most difficult in recent years, as gas storage levels in the region were currently at historically low levels.

Along with historically low inventories, Europe is also facing supply problems, the IEA chief noted. He pointed out that European countries had decided to completely phase out Russian gas by 2027, while they could no longer receive gas from the UAE and Qatar due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, European countries have to turn to the United States and Norway for new supplies.