BRUSSELS, Sept 12 (Reuters) – European Union countries can use 225 billion euros ($227.57 billion) in untapped loans from the EU’s recovery fund to address energy problems and other challenges resulting from the Russian war in Ukraine, a senior EU official said on Monday. The European Union launched an unprecedented 800 billion euro joint borrowing programme last year to help its 27 members recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and turn their economies greener. But instead of the pandemic, governments are now grappling with a cost-of-living crisis caused by surging energy prices after Russia stopped much of its EU gas deliveries in retaliation for the bloc’s support for Ukraine. “Member States may request loans to finance additional investments and reforms – including those which already had their plans adopted,” European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told the European Parliament’s economic committee. He added these loans can be used to respond […]