Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharply criticized the European Union's sanctions on Russian energy resources. Speaking to the Russian state channel Vesti, Putin argued that Europe has not been able to completely abandon Russian energy, noting that the share of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the European market stands at 20 percent.
Stating that the restrictions imposed on the purchase of oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium were the choice of European countries themselves, Putin claimed that Moscow did not unilaterally stop energy supplies to Europe. “The policy of banning everything from Russia is stupid, completely stupid,” Putin said.
The Russian leader argued that the sanctions have not produced the expected results, and suggested that some foreign companies were forced to leave the Russian market due to pressure from European governments.
HE REJECTED ALLEGATIONS OF PROTESTS IN EUROPE
Putin also rejected accusations that mass protests in Europe were instigated by Moscow. Criticizing the targeting of Russia for demonstrations in major cities, Putin said, “To say that we instigated mass demonstrations in the major cities of Europe is really going too far.”
Arguing that social unrest in Europe stems from the mistakes of administrations in economic, financial, and migration policies, Putin noted that in some countries the ratio of public debt to national income exceeds 100 percent, and that this rate has reached 139 percent in Italy.
Putin also criticized Europe's migration policies, claiming that there have been serious problems regarding the integration of immigrants who have come to the continent in recent years into society. Arguing that the increase in the immigrant population creates pressure on public resources, Putin reminded that Russia also has a multinational structure and said that they would pay more attention to policies in the field of social relations.
Following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union sought to diversify its supply sources to reduce its energy dependence on Moscow. During this process, while the share of Russian gas coming via pipeline declined, the importance of purchases from the US, Norway, and other suppliers increased. Despite this, the continued presence of Russian LNG in the European market keeps the debate between energy supply security and sanction policies on the agenda.
News Source: 12punto
