<span style="color: #222222;">The energy crisis will be a hot topic at the European Council summit starting today in Brussels, where leaders from Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece will call for an urgent and coordinated response. EU officials yesterday said they will seek U.S. help on a plan to top up natural gas storage facilities for next winter and also want the bloc to jointly purchase gas.  <br />''<br />''To cope with the spiking energy prices due to Russia-Ukraine conflict, European Governments are slashing fuel taxes and providing tens of billions to help consumers, truckers and farmers. Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Cyprus have slashed fuel taxes, rolled out heating and power subsidies, and capped energy bills for households and small businesses.<br />''<br />''The conflict has aggravated a months-long energy crunch in Europe, which is dependent on Russian oil and natural gas.</span><br />