US warning to Putin as he turns screw
... and birthday boy Vlad’s posturing is too much to bear
AMERICA warned Vladimir Putin not to exploit the energy crisis yesterday, as figures showed Russia had reduced gas exports to the EU by close to a fifth in the last ten days.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Moscow has ‘a history of using energy as a tool of coercion’ – and warned any meddling in the market would ‘backfire’.
Experts believe the Russian president has scope to boost gas supplies to the West and alleviate the shortage. They claim he is using the price spike as leverage in a dispute over the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
Mr Sullivan said: ‘We have long been concerned about Russia using energy as a tool of coercion and a political weapon. We have seen it happen before and we could see it happen again.
‘I think it would be a mistake for Russia to try to exploit this. I think that would ultimately backfire on them and I believe they should respond to the market demands for increased energy supplies to Europe.’
Mr Sullivan said suppliers of oil and gas ‘need to step up to be able to help meet this growing demand, so as not to imperil a growing economic recovery’.
But figures updated yesterserious day by Russia’s state-backed energy company Gazprom showed it cut exports to Europe just as the crisis escalated. It has reduced the amount of gas by 17 per cent since September 26, helping to push prices skywards, while hoarding the largest reserves of natural gas of any country in the world.
Ten days ago the company sent 424 million cubic metres of gas to Europe, but on Wednesday, the latest figures available, this had fallen to 352 million cubic metres.
It came as Downing Street said the Government had ‘significant concerns’ about Nord Stream 2 regarding its ‘implications for European energy security, its use in a decarbonised future and its impact on Ukraine’.
‘Some European countries are nearly wholly dependent on Russian gas which raises concerns about energy security,’ said a No10 spokesman.
‘Nord Stream 2 would divert supplies away from Ukraine, with significant consequences for its economy. It could also have significant security implications.’
The newly-built pipeline – which will pump fuel under the Baltic, bypassing Ukraine, from Russia to Germany – is still awaiting approval for use. It has faced stiff opposition from the US and some European countries who argue it will make Europe too reliant on Russian gas – and hand Mr Putin too much influence.
With countries under pressure to boost their energy resilience, it was reported last night that Brussels is plotting to allow national governments to jointly purchase and store natural gas.
The European Commission is set to examine options for strengthening the bloc’s leverage in talks with thirdcountry suppliers, Bloomberg reported.
‘Serious concerns about security’